Paranormal
by riverofmemories
Summary: Living with a mostly friendly poltergeist and dealing with his "generous" acts of "kindness" is one thing. Figuring out just how he ended up there is a completely other matter that has Lucy's head spinning. And it certainly doesn't help that he's getting to be not nearly as friendly as time goes on. {WARNING: some of the content might not be for sensitive readers!}
1. Chapter 1

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

She groaned with relief as she stepped through the door of her apartment, pausing only to hang her keys on a hook near the front door. She stepped right past the messy entrance way, yanking the ponytail out of her hair and running her fingers through it as she made her way towards the kitchen. She stepped over an overturned wooden chair, not even bothering to pick it up just yet, and dropped her purse onto the bar with a mumbled, "Damn it, you freaking jerk, if you're going to make a mess, you could at least pick up after yourself."

The answer she received came in the form of her purse sliding straight off the counter and onto the floor.

"Are you freaking-" She threw her hands in the air. "Seriously?"

A pause, and then the ponytail snapped at her wrist.

She scowled. "Don't make me go get Levy."

If someone had told her that renting this apartment meant dealing with a poltergeist that thought he was the funniest thing on Earth, she would have turned right back around and left without another word. But because the owner of the building, a man by the name of Gajeel Redfox, had _conveniently_ forgotten, this was what she dealt with.

And Lucy Heartfilia was not one to turn and run at the first sight of trouble.

Nope.

Where most people would have flipped out and run screaming in the other direction, Lucy had taken it upon herself to deal with it and move on.

It wasn't like he was a bad ghost. He didn't try to kill her in her sleep. He wasn't creepy in any way. He just thought he was hilarious and messed around with her quite a bit. He liked to playfully mess with her hair at times, he liked to scare the hell out of her by picking up things and dropping them near her, and he sure as hell liked to rummage through her fridge, but never in her entire six months at this building had he tried to purposely hurt her.

And he was kind sometimes, particularly after she had nightmares and whenever she was mourning for her recently deceased father and her long dead mother. When she'd come home from her father's funeral in tears, she could have sworn she'd felt a gentle hand stroking her head. But when she'd lifted her face to look, there had been no one, and she'd been left with the feeling that her head was on fire.

As strange as it sounded, the ass had been her only friend until a month or two ago in this town, when she'd been working intently on hunting down a new book to read at the local library. She'd bumped into a petite woman with blue hair pushed back by an orange headband by the name of Levy. After a few minutes of discussion, Lucy had learned that her name was Levy McGarden, that she lived three doors down, and that she sure as hell wanted to hang out again.

After a few meet ups and visits to Levy's place to try and escape the craziness of her pesky poltergeist, Lucy learned of Levy's love for exploring other worlds.

In other words, Levy specialized in the paranormal.

Levy's first night over had been the first time she'd learned of her company's name.

Levy had been serious in using a ouija board - Lucy would _never_ again do that, and not because it freaked her out. Because it didn't. It was actually kind interesting to talk to the one that inhabited your place but couldn't leave. It _wasn't_ fun hunting down the board after the one you were talking to had decided to hide it when you went to sleep.

The poltergeist - whose name they had learned was Natsu - had given no more information other than his name and a few playful tugs on their hair before going to play around with Lucy's poor cat Happy. She _thought_ the Russian Blue liked Natsu sometimes, but most of the time, he only succeeded in pissing him off.

Like she was now.

"Natsu!" Lucy hollered, placing her hands on her hips as he began to play with her hair as usual, lifting it up and down until she tucked it behind her ear. "I wasn't kidding. I _will_ go get Levy if you don't cut it out."

After Natsu had seriously pissed her off one night, Levy had taken it upon herself to learn a simple prayer that would "banish" Natsu for a few hours at a time. So far, they'd only used it once, but on some occasions…

Lucy wished Levy wasn't at her job at the library at the moment.

Damn, her neighbors must have thought she was psychotic with the amount of screaming she did some days…

Sighing, Lucy picked her purse up off of the floor and set it back on the counter. She rummaged through it for a few moments, snagged her iPod, and went over to where - thankfully - her untouched docking station sat, cranking her music up to a volume that worked for her and her neighbors. Humming along, the blonde woman swept her hair back out of her face and into the ponytail she'd undone a few moments before. "Bastard," she called to him, preparing to clean up the mess he'd made.

His answer came in the form of a few books falling out of the bookcase to her right.

If she'd been able to see exactly where the poltergeist was, she would have kicked at his ankles...or something.

She took her time, cleaning up her apartment with a thoughtful look on her face as she contemplated just how much pain she'd enjoy putting him through if he'd physically been beside her. He helped just a teeny bit. She discovered that a few objects had "magically" turned up beside the place they belonged in, and the chairs were replaced back in their original place. She still had to move the table, of course, but…

When she was done, Lucy folded her hands behind her head and took a look around, relieved that it was finally clean. "You should stop making a mess every single time I leave. Go pester someone else for a change - ow!" She grimaced when a sharp tug of annoyance on her hair showed just how he felt about the matter. "Okay, okay, I get it."

Lucy dropped down onto her couch, yawning. "Need a break from your messes tomorrow...I'm working a few extra hours to make up for my time off next week. Could you _not_ be a jerk tomorrow? Please?" She received no responses, and she hopefully took it as a yes.

Lucy squirmed across the couch, snatching up the remote and turning on the TV in hopes that she'd be able to get some TV show watching done before she got up to make dinner. Levy had agreed to come over, but wouldn't be off for another hour or so, so she _should_ have been good to watch it.

Natsu appeared to have other ideas.

"Stop," she moaned as the channels began to flip. "I just want to watch TV, why do you have to be a jerk!"

They only flipped faster.

Lucy rolled onto her stomach, pressing her face into the cushions of the couch. The apartment fell silent and she found herself suspicious, suspecting that Natsu was waiting to figure out what would piss her off the most.

Lucy wrinkled her nose. She'd asked Gajeel about him once. The slightly terrifying man that looked the other way the second Levy stepped into the room had been surprisingly against the belief that there was a poltergeist pestering her - and it didn't help that Natsu stopped doing things the second he was in the room. Mind you, she didn't always mind Natsu's presence. He was like a guard dog in some ways, always ready to start throwing things around if someone broke in. But she _was_ interested in just how the building had ended up with such a being.

So she'd done some digging. She'd come up with a few different violent deaths in the building that was nearing its seventy-fifth year, but none of them had included the name "Natsu", so she figured he was either lying about his name or he hadn't truly died here. When she'd questioned Levy about it, the small woman had informed her that sometimes, ghosts weren't locked onto a location all the time. Sometimes they were attached to possessions or people.

Lucy didn't really think it was either of those things, though, because wouldn't she have known if she was haunted before moving here? Or if she'd had some weird possession that was haunted by a ghost?

Still, she'd only shrugged and moved on.

She was haunted by a weird poltergeist who knew when it was okay and not okay to be a jerk that was... _currently working on edging a few books off of her shelf!_

"Oh, no you don't!" Lucy threw herself off the couch and slammed the books back into the shelf. It became a game of whack-a-mole as she struggled to keep all of the books on her shelf before he was able to rip them off. "Cut it out, Natsu! Now!" she snapped, ignoring the sudden heat that flared up around her.

Yep. He was definitely there.

She glanced over her shoulder at the sound of her front door opening followed by a familiar voice calling, "Lu-chan!"

"Levy!" Lucy wailed in relief, beaming excitedly as the amused woman stepped into the living room of the apartment. "Help!"

Just like that, Natsu was gone. The heat around the young woman disappeared, and she sighed, stepping away from the bookshelf. Levy giggled as the headband she wore began to lift itself off of her head, and she yanked it back on. "Hello, Natsu. Bothering Lucy today?" She flinched just slightly at a flash of heat that Lucy could feel from across the room. "Yep. Okay. Could you go haunt the couple next door then? We have some business to discuss. Once for yes, two for no, please."

As if he was a trained dog, Natsu agreed by tossing one book to the floor. Levy gave it a moment and then beamed at Lucy. "You shouldn't be so harsh on the poor guy. He's dead after all."

Lucy gawked at her. "How!" she demanded. "I've been trying to get him to chill out for like half an hour!"

Levy winked. "Practice, Lu-chan. You aren't nearly nice enough to him. He's just bored half the time, and you know it. Anyways...you'll never guess what happened!" She grinned, dark eyes sparkling excitedly.

"Hm...let's see," Lucy teased, moving to sit on the couch. She crossed her legs, cocking her head to the side as Levy flounced over to join her. "Gajeel finally ask you out on a date?"

Levy's face turned a brilliant red. "N-no, stop that. You know that we don't...damn it, woman, no." She scrubbed a hand down her face, then was back to her usual self, eyes sparkling. "Those new books came in at the bookstore. Here, I got one for you." She pushed it into Lucy's hands after pulling it out of the purse she'd set beside her.

"Thank you!" Lucy squealed, beaming at the book in her hands. She lovingly caressed it with her fingers, smiling excitedly. "I might have to come over to your place or go to the library to read it though...Natsu's _never_ going to give me a moment of peace."

Levy shrugged. "Read after ten. He doesn't bother you after that time, right?"

"Because I'm in bed trying to sleep," Lucy said bluntly. "I have to work double shifts tomorrow. And not even he's that cruel." She leaned back, yanking the ponytail in her hair back out. She ran her fingers through it, thoughtful. "We still on for tomorrow at lunch? I have an hour long lunch break, and coffee will be the best thing on this planet at that point."

Levy winked. "Of course, Lu-chan. I'll let you know if anything fun happens at my own job, okay?"

"Thanks," she breathed, her eyes flashing with happiness. How she loved her friend. Lucy suddenly gave Levy a sly smirk, dark eyes twinkling with mischief as she leaned closer, teasing, "So...anything happen with Gajeel yet?"

Levy's cheeks turned a brilliant red. "I don't know what you're talking about, Lu-chan."

"So that nice little coffee you gave him after stopping at his shop the other day meant nothing?" Lucy batted her eyelashes innocently as Levy squeaked, leaning away. "I mean, that was your one free coffee for the months."

Lucy wouldn't lie. She was fond of their landlord. Gajeel was scary to most people at first glance, being tall and muscular alongside a wild mane of black hair, crimson eyes, and several piercings that dotted his face and arms, but he had a good heart. The grumpy man had a thing for Levy - Lucy knew it was for certain, because no matter what both of them said, she saw the looks on their faces when the other wasn't looking - but he was more often than not found in Lucy's home rather than the "Shrimp's", as he was fond of calling Levy.

Despite Lucy's claims and Levy's support that it was the pest of a poltergeist that didn't know when to stop, Gajeel constantly complained about her seemingly constant breaking of appliances. Yet he didn't make her pay - something she was entirely grateful for.

"Shut it," Levy muttered, her cheeks turning an interesting shade of red. "How's that boyfriend of yours working out?"

Lucy's smile vanished. "No. We're...working things out."

Not.

After catching him tangling tongues with another girl, she wasn't exactly looking to spend any more time with the bastard.

"I'm sure it'll turn out alright in the end, Lucy," Levy soothed, patting her friend's hand reassuringly.

The two chatted for a little bit longer, until Natsu came back and started smacking books off her shelves again. Lucy scowled, but Levy only laughed and teased her about it, amused by what was happening...until the smirking blonde mused about how Natsu might have gone to her apartment.

Levy left after that, promising to see her for lunch the next day.

"Don't you dare come in," Lucy called to her permanent roommate when she went to go change. "If I realize you've come in when I'm changing, I'll make sure your exorcised right out of this place. Got it?"

The ponytail at her wrist snapped at her flesh once.

Lucy slipped into the bathroom, pajamas in hand. She tugged the tank top and the fuzzy pants on quickly after shedding the day's work clothes, and then tossed the dirty laundry into a hamper. She quickly washed her face free of makeup, and then took a look at herself in the mirror.

She huffed out a soft breath, puffing her cheeks as she poked at her belly. "Need to lay off some of those sweets...damn. I guess I won't be having any cake tomorrow…" She shook her head at herself. She wasn't usually so concerned about such petty matters, and she scolded herself about it. She was fine with her shape.

It was that pathetic excuse of an ex-boyfriend commenting on it that made her so worried.

Thank Mavis that was over with.

Lucy slapped her cheeks, and then exited the bathroom, propping her hands on her hips as she contemplated what she wanted to do next. Did she go to sleep despite it only being eight o' clock in the evening, or did she read? Natsu was silent, not making a mess, and it _was_ early…

Lucy grabbed the book off of her couch and dropped onto it to make herself comfortable beneath a fluffy blanket that she loved almost more than life itself. "Am I reading out loud tonight, Natsu?" she called.

She'd learned that sometimes, if she read to the damn ghost, he'd shut up and be good for the rest of the night, and it appeared luck was on her side now, as he rapped a sharp knock on one of the walls.

So, without further hesitation, Lucy sank further into her couch and opened the book, beginning to read out loud.

* * *

 _HAPPY HALLOWEEN MY LOVELIES!_ _I absolutely love Halloween. I don't go out and gather candy with children anymore and I don't dress up (moreso 'cause I'm broke and can't do anything), but I hand out candy. This year, however, I'm watching a bunch of scary movies with my friends while devouring what must be ten pounds of candy that my mother purchased for us. ANYHOW! I give you Paranormal! This idea came out of my recent obsession with ghosts. Don't know where it came from, as I'm usually scared as hell when it comes to such matters, but yeah. This will update once a week (Saturdays), and it's more of a fun thing for me to write then plot focused (though I do have that, of course). Happy Halloween, see you next week!_


	2. Chapter 2

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

"Okay, seriously? This is getting ridiculous." Lucy crossed her arms as she took in the mess around her, scowling at nothing. The man behind her arched a pierced brow, easily looking over her head to study the mess.

"Jeez, woman," Gajeel Redfox muttered, looking amused. "Didn't realize you were _this_ messy. When's the last time you picked up in here?"

"Less than an hour ago," Lucy said bluntly, annoyed. Ignoring the strange look Gajeel sent her, Lucy rubbed the back of her head and picked her way through the entryway. "I told you. Natsu's a jerk."

"Whatever you say, Bunny Girl," he grunted, lifting the toolbox he'd brought with him. He carefully followed her through the apartment to the kitchen, pretending he didn't see the open and empty fridge. "You sure you weren't robbed or something?"

"Positive," she grumbled. She stepped over a broken plate, kicking the fridge shut before nodding at the sink. "I noticed it wasn't working when I came home during my break." She sighed heavily, glaring at the ceiling. "Someone must be in a bad mood today if he's breaking things...usually, he just kicks my stuff around. He leaves breakable things alone. Wonder what pissed him off."

"Might wanna get your head checked out," Gajeel grunted as he set to work on fixing the sink. He squinted, piercings glinting in the light of her apartment. "Dunno if it's working right…I think it's a bit more broken then my sink..."

She glared at him for that comment and folded her arms across her chest before starting to pick up, carefully plucking up shards of glass so that they wouldn't hurt themselves. "I'm not imagining things, and you know it. Levy knows he's here, too."

Gajeel paused at the mention of the blue-haired woman. "...is Shrimp stopping by?"

"Maybe, I don't know." Lucy tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, reaching for the trashcan.

Only for it to skitter a few inches away from her fingers.

"Alright," she snarled, leaping to her feet. "This is the _last_ straw, you god damn fu-"

"Huh," Gajeel interrupted, sitting back to stare at her with a smug look on his face. "Look at that, Bunny Girl's getting ready to ruin the innocence of children again."

She pointed at him. "Shut up. You shut up _right_ now, Gajeel Redfox. You cannot tell me you did not see - _Natsu!_ " She screamed the name in frustration when a cabinet open and one of her mugs began to drop and shatter on the floor, one at a time. She hurled a shard in her hand at the spot she was sure he'd have been in if he was physically there and the fridge slammed open hard enough that the back of it cracked on the counter. "You _ass_!"

Gajeel merely watched, gawking at the sight before him in shock. "The fuck?" he finally muttered.

Lucy threw another shard at the fridge. "Out! Get out! Or I'm - to hell with it! I'm calling Levy!" She stormed out of the kitchen, easily side stepping something that flew at her. Gajeel watched after her, then shrugged, going back to fixing the sink with a wary look. He'd seen enough TV to know that sometimes, things dealing with garbage disposals didn't always go well. And with what he'd just seen, he wasn't exactly eager to stick his hand down the drain…

 _Huh, guess she wasn't kiddin'...explains the weird books Shrimp has…_

He'd have to look into it.

Lucy growled curses to herself, ignoring the glare a parent sent her way as she stalked towards Levy's door, not hesitating to bang on the door with all of her might. "Levy!" she called, "You in there?"

"One sec!" the bookworm called. Lucy tapped her foot impatiently until she heard Levy's feet scuttling across the floor. She opened it, her blue hair wild and sticking up everywhere, no headband in sight. Her feet were bare, and she was dressed in a simple pair of comfortable shorts and a T-shirt.

Clearly, Levy hadn't planned on going out of her apartment yet.

Lucy gave her a pleading look. "Help me, Levy, please. He's being a huge jerk today...and I mean, he's being a "let's-throw-things-at-Lucy-and-break-all-of-her-valuables" kind of jerk." A pause. "He broke my sink. Gajeel came over to fix it, by the way. We've finally proved to him that there's a ghost in the building."

Levy blinked with startled hazel eyes, then sighed heavily, rubbing the back of her head. "Give me a second, I'll go get my book." She headed off into her clean apartment, returning only moments later with a nicely bound leather journal. _"For important things in regards to Natsu and any other ghost we come across,"_ Levy informed Lucy one evening when she'd been scribbling in it.

The blue-haired woman winked, waving the book in Lucy's face. "Come on, Lucy, let's get that bastard," she hummed as she stepped out of the apartment. Her door slammed shut before she could even touch it and Levy scowled, growling, "Touch my apartment, and I won't let you come back for years, Natsu."

The pair headed for Lucy's apartment, ignoring the flickering lights in the hallway. A man heading back to his own apartment was frowning up at them, but they ignored him in favor of sweeping into Lucy's apartment just a second before the door slammed behind them.

"Damn," Levy commented, shaking her head at the mess around the room. "This is insane...I can't believe it. He's never done this much damage to your place before…"

"It's concerning," Lucy agreed. Her dark eyes were blazing with anger and annoyance, and she led Levy towards the kitchen, calling, "Hey! Gajeel! You still in here?"

The dark-haired man rounded the corner, piercing red eyes narrowed. "This fucker's insane, woman, been throwing things at me since you left. How the hell have you lived here for six months?" He paused as he saw Levy, and then greeted grumpily, "Hey, Shrimp. Sorry for callin' ya psychotic the last time ya mentioned this."

"It's Levy," Levy corrected, rolling her eyes with a hint of a smile. "You're forgiven, and she's survived with great skill, precision, and the luckiness that Natsu isn't usually like this." She rolled her shoulders, calling out, "Last warning, Natsu. You cut it out right now."

Lucy squeaked, throwing her arms up to cover her face when a massive wave of heat flashed over them. She cringed at it, trying her best not to make a sound of pain, and she heard Gajeel swear loudly.

Levy sighed heavily. "Alrighty then," she mused as if the heat didn't bother her. Swiping a lock of hair out of her face, she began to read the prayer she'd written into her journal aloud.

She slapped the journal shut after she'd finished, smiling brilliantly when the heat disappeared. "There. Should leave you alone for a few hours. Hopefully he'll realize he went a little too far...if not…" She gave Lucy a grim look. "You can't have him doing this much damage all the time."

"I know," Lucy murmured. She didn't want to have to get rid of her unintentional roommate, but if it was necessary…

She knew she'd have to deal with the problem.

"Damn," Gajeel muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "You weren't kiddin' when ya said ya had a poltergeist around, eh?"

Lucy rolled her eyes, propping her hands on her hips and ignoring the fact that all of their skin had reddened slightly, as if they'd been outside and gotten a nasty sunburn. "Did you honestly think I was? I don't lie about things like that, Gajeel." She sighed, looking ready to cry at the sight of the mess around them. "Now I have to clean up…"

Levy gave her a kind smile. "Don't worry, Lu-chan. Gajeel and I will help you clean up, and then you and I can go replace whatever broke, okay?"

"Thanks," Lucy said with a hesitant smile.

Gajeel only huffed, glaring at the small woman, who barely reached a few inches beneath his chin. "Woman, I have work to do back at my shop. What makes you think I have time to clean up someone else's place."

Levy's dark eyes flashed with a violently promising look. "Gajeel Redfox," she threatened, tucking her journal under her arm and placing her other hand on her hip. "You will help us clean up this room or so help me, I will _never_ stop by your shop with another coffee ever again. Is that clear?"

Gajeel rolled his piercing eyes. "Whatever," he spat, scowling at her before turning on Lucy, who silently wondered how the blue-haired woman beside her didn't want to curl up into a ball and cry when receiving the death glare he was giving her now. "Where's the fucking trash bags, Bunny Girl?"

"Under the sink?" Lucy squeaked, the statement coming out as a question.

Gajeel stormed off, muttering under his breath, and Levy's lips twitched, threatening to curve into a smile. "Don't worry about his grumpy attitude," Levy reassured, "He's just pissed that I threatened to take his coffee away."

Despite her mourning over her apartment, Lucy teased weakly, "Aw, look at you, acting like a controlling girlfriend who's threatening him to get him to do what you want." Before Levy could puff up in rage and complain about such words, Lucy scurried away to start picking up her books, sighing and making a mental list when she realized most of them were missing pages. She'd go and hopefully have the money to repurchase them.

Who was she kidding? she thought hysterically a moment later, tears springing to her eyes.

She had the money, she just didn't want to have to go digging in funds she'd received from a father who hadn't cared much for her until he was near death. Swallowing thickly and trying not to cry, Lucy ran a hand through her messy blonde hair, grimacing at her reddened skin before rasping, "Thank you for offering your help, Levy, but seriously. You guys don't have to."

"Nonsense," Levy scolded as Gajeel returned with the box of trash bags. "We're friends. We need to help each other. Besides, I'm sure Gajeel would like to make sure that the apartment you're renting gets fixed back up nice and pretty. Right?" She beamed at Gajeel, dark eyes sparkling rather than supporting the seriously violent look she'd been wearing moments before.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever ya say, Shrimp," he muttered in response, yanking a trash bag out of the box and shaking it out so that it made loud sounds. Then he went to work on carefully picking up shards of glass from a vase that Natsu had knocked over, carefully crouching among the pieces. "Just get to work. I got stuff to do. Left those two morons in charge of the shop when I left, don't want them screwing too much up."

Lucy smiled slightly. "Don't worry, Gajeel, I'm sure Sting and Rogue know what they're doing - oh, _Happy_!" she suddenly screeched when the terrified cat came scampering out from his hiding place beneath the flipped couch. His fur was slicked with some kind of liquid that had been dumped everywhere and his eyes were wide with fright as he sprang into her arms. She clutched him to her, reassuringly scratching his chin as he trembled. "Oh, you poor thing, did he scare you? I'm so sorry, Happy, I'll make sure it doesn't happen again, okay? Happy…" She simply cooed his name a few more times, kissing his head gently.

Gajeel eyed Happy for a few moments, and Levy giggled at the soft look that appeared on his face. After seeing him around his own cat, a handsome Havana with fur the color of dark chocolate by the name of Pantherlily (or Lily, as everyone liked to call him), she knew he had a soft spot for cats. And it was showing. Especially when he offered, "If ya want him away from what's his name, I can take him to the shop. He and Lily got along good last time ya brought him."

Lucy pressed her lips together in thought, then said slowly, "I guess that would be okay. I'll come and visit him every day though. Just until Levy and I have figured out what the hell happened to piss off Natsu this badly...and I'm going to take him back, you don't get to keep him, Gajeel."

"Like I'd want a crazy cat like that," he grumbled before shoving another shard of glass into the trash bag he held. "Now stop your chattering and get moving. I still have to run back and lock up after the freaks head home 'cause I'm the only one with the keys."

* * *

Lucy wiped the sweat from her forehead after pushing the bookshelf into an upright position, her eyes thoughtful. "...this seems like a good idea," she mused, proud of herself.

With Natsu having already messed everything up, Lucy had decided to come up with some small victory in the craziness and had rearranged the living room, attempting to make herself feel better. Gajeel and Levy had left hours ago, Levy saying that she had to go shower and get to bed early due to having to be up at four in the morning, and Gajeel had taken Happy with him when going to lock up the shop he owned and worked at. Lucy had been there a few times with Levy, had even purchased some of the cool metal works that he and his employees Sting Eucliffe - who really needed to stop flirting with her every time she showed up - and Rogue Cheney had made.

She licked her lips, glancing around, nearly expecting her hard work to be ruined again. Natsu would be crawling back from wherever he'd gone soon, and she hoped to hell and back that he wasn't even more pissed off, because she really didn't feel like figuring out how to do a full blown exorcism if she'd angered him.

As if sensing her thoughts, there was suddenly a wave of heat washing over her. She tensed warily, then said cautiously, "Natsu?"

His response came in the form of a gentle tug on her hair before it was patted gently into place.

Lucy arched an eyebrow in surprise, then shook her head with a softened smile on her lips. "Idiot," she said affectionately, moving away from the bookshelf to gather what little remained of her books.

There were literally three of them that hadn't been touched, and she gingerly put them on her large bookshelf, beyond grateful he'd known better than to touch a massive and worn older book. It had been her mother's favorite, one she'd read out of to Lucy when she'd been young and before she'd perished from illness. Even in his rage, she realized, he'd been careful not to hurt what was important.

Of course, he'd also hurled something at her in his temper, but...she could forgive and forget. It's not like it had managed to catch her in the face or anything.

"Are you done being an ass?" she said aloud as she dropped onto her couch for a break, giving a yawn and glancing at the clock. She grimaced at the time. She should have gone to bed hours ago. At least she was off of work the next day. "I decided to send Happy with Gajeel because of you."

There was a moment of silence before one of the books she'd _literally_ just put back up fell from the shelf.

"Oh, my - _Natsu_!" she cried in frustration. But she didn't move, and a soft smile appeared on her face as she closed her eyes, too tired to get up and get herself into her bed. Deciding she'd sleep on the couch for the time being, she simply curled up against the armrest and rested her cheek on her arms. She'd pick the book up in the morning.

As she fell into a fairly decent sleep, Lucy could have sworn she felt warm breath wash over her face and a gentle and shaking hand touch her forehead.

* * *

Lucy hummed thoughtfully as she strode through the shop, her cat cradled in her arms. Happy purred contently, not willing to move out of her grasp as she paused to study some beautifully crafted metalwork - more than likely created by Gajeel, or his father, who he rarely spoke of. It was a handsome piece of work, she admitted, studying the way the metallic dragon's strangely shaped wings stretched, it's' rows of jagged teeth glinting and giving it a deadly look.

"Look at this one," she told Happy with a gentle smile. "I like it. It's very scary, don't you think?" Happy merely rubbed his face against her chin, and she giggled before moving onto the next one. "Ooh, this one's even better...look at him." She knelt to get a better look at the dragon. "Looks like they've been on a roll with making dragons lately."

"Damn right we have," called a grinning Sting Eucliffe as he appeared, hauling a rather large chunk of material that was more than likely for Gajeel. While Gajeel specialized in carving things out of massive chunks of pure iron, he and Rogue were good at bending metals to their will...which was a hell of a lot easier and cheaper, as he'd put it.

Lucy straightened, laughing when he nearly dropped the heavy iron. "Gajeel get a new shipment in? I'd be careful, he and Levy are having a friendly little chat in there." She nodded at Gajeel's office. "I think he's _finally_ asking her out on a date."

"About fucking time," Sting muttered, rolling his blue eyes. He squinted at the office, then sighed and abandoned the iron on the counter that they used to deal with customers. "Screw it, I'll tell him later. You find anything you want, Lucy?"

She shook her head. "No. I wasn't planning on buying anything. I came more so to visit Happy, but...I _guess_ I can afford to purchase something," she mused. "I need new things for my apartment anyways." _Thanks for breaking everything, you bastard._

Happy hopped down from her arms, scrambling to rub against Sting's legs happily. Sting grinned and ducked down to pat the cat on the head. "This little guy's been great. Likes to just sit on our laps while we're working. Lily only does it with Gajeel, so it's freaking hilarious when he decides he wants to enjoy Gajeel's company at the same time. Who knew cats sat on someone's shoulders?"

"Happy does like to do that," Lucy laughed. She watched the cat purr once more before trotting off to do who the hell knows what. She sighed softly, then grinned when a red-faced Levy came hurrying out of Gajeel's office, the grumpy man right behind her. She gave a wave. "Hey, Gajeel! These dragons are for sale, right? Can I take one?"

"If ya can pay for it," Gajeel grunted, leaning on the counter and glancing at the large mound of iron that Sting had put down. He inspected it carefully. "You didn't steal any of my iron, right?"

Sting gave him a weird look. "Are you serious?"

"He didn't steal any of your iron, Gajeel," Levy sighed, giving Lucy an exasperated look.

Lucy only laughed and carefully looked at each dragon available. She finally chose one that was supposed to be a fearsome fire dragon, then suddenly paused. "...you take commissions, right?" she said carefully.

Gajeel gave a curt nod. "Yeah...price depends on what you want and how big it is, though. Not that you wouldn't be able to afford it." He smirked at that thought, as if amused, and Lucy frowned in disapproval before continuing.

Lucy smiled brightly after losing her frown, however, and said cheerfully, "Well then, how would you feel about accepting a commission from me?"

* * *

 _So Natsu threw a huge fit, yes? You'll find out what that was about soon. ;) I want to pair Natsu and Lucy together in here, but I haven't figured out how I plan on doing that just yet, so for now, don't hope for any romance. I'm working out how to fit it in, though, so hopefully it'll be there. Hope you enjoyed, and thank you to all that favorited/followed! Also, thank you to reviewers (KaUiA, JuliusNight, Kinsutenekochan, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, Usweasil, NaLu x Buckets, and kat5552)!_


	3. Chapter 3

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

Lucy hummed to herself as she swept around the kitchen, her hair tied back in a messy bun and her dark eyes full of determination. She sidestepped a rolling desk chair that slid around the kitchen in circles. Music blared from her sound system at a volume that wouldn't get her complaints yet allowed her to shout along to the lyrics without a care in the world.

The chair went flying by again, and Lucy giggled, moving out of the way. Whatever he was doing, Natsu seemed to be having fun, too. "Watch out," she warned, knowing he'd somehow hear her words over the music when it sped around again, this time nearly knocking her over.

Just like that, the chair skidded to a halt, and Lucy waited expectantly.

As expected, a moment later, the chair simply began to spin as fast as physically possible, rocking at the speed. Lucy grinned, shaking her head in exasperation as she grabbed one of the cookies she'd made and began to crunch down on it. "You better behave yourself tonight," Lucy told the poltergeist after turning her sound system off momentarily. "I don't want you chasing off this person, okay? This will be the first person since my ex that I bring here. I'm trying to make another friend."

The chair stopped spinning and there was a sharp snap as one of the cookies snapped in half, one of the halves thudding to the ground.

"Damn it, Natsu!" Lucy snapped, scooping the cookie half off the ground and chucking it at the wall. She could have sworn she heard cackling laughter in her ear as Happy slid along the wall, tail twitching as he eyed the cookie. He then snatched it up in his jaws and bolted, running as fast as he could for the other room to eat it in peace.

Lucy groaned and popped the other half into her mouth.

A few weeks had passed since Natsu had thrown his tantrum and destroyed her apartment. Lucy had, in that time, brought Happy home, redecorated the place, and put up twelve iron carvings of the zodiac symbols that Gajeel had finished quickly for her. She loved them to death, and had pleaded with Natsu to not touch them.

So far, he'd done pretty good at going through with not so much as shifting them.

In those weeks, a new customer had begun to come to the coffee shop Lucy worked at. After a few days of serving her coffee, Lucy had finally introduced herself and had received a name and some information in response.

 _"My name's Erza,"_ the woman had said with a somewhat shy but friendly smile before she'd taken a bite of strawberry cake. _"Nice to meet you, Lucy."_ Lucy had learned plenty about her. The scarlet-haired woman collected weapons of every kind, and was engaged to a man by the name of Jellal Fernandes. After a few conversations between the two during Lucy's breaks, the blonde had invited Erza over for coffee at her apartment, a recommendation on Levy's behalf.

Not that she had coffee.

Or that strawberry cake Erza was so fond of.

"What do you think, Natsu?" Lucy asked, placing her hands on her hips. "Think tea and cookies will do the trick?"

The chair began spinning in circles again, and she only laughed before heading over to it, ignoring the heat that immediately overwhelmed her. It stopped spinning just a second before she grabbed the back of it and began pushing it back to its original place. "She'll be here any minute, so do you mind?"

A tug on a loose lock of her hair later, the heat went away, and Lucy smiled gratefully.

He'd been exceptionally willing to do as she asked as of recently, and Lucy suspected it was because he felt guilty for what he'd done. She certainly hoped so, because that meant it was more than likely he wouldn't do it again.

There was a knock on the door, and Lucy hurried to answer it, a light smile playing along her lips as she greeted the curious looking woman at her door. "Hello, Erza!" she said pleasantly, stepping back to let her in.

"Lucy," Erza responded with a warm smile, entering the apartment with a hum. She studied the iron zodiac symbols on the wall with interest. "...can I ask where you got these?"

"There's a shop in town," Lucy explained with a grin. She closed the door behind Erza, glancing around to make sure Natsu wasn't silently trying to gain their attention. She had no doubt it was something he'd do. And Gajeel had warned that if anything funny happened in her apartment again, Natsu wouldn't be allowed to stay. "The person who runs this building owns it. He and his employees do amazing work, I'm sure you'd like the weapons they make on occasion…"

"I'll have to go see the store," Erza said, her dark eyes shining eagerly at the thought. "Do they have any for sale?"

"I think they have _one_ ," Lucy answered, wrinkling her nose as she indicated for Erza to sit and went to go fetch the tea and cookies she and Natsu (not really) had made. "It was a decently sized battleaxe. Rogue made it, so it's more like an actual weapon then it would have been if Gajeel did…"

Erza's eyes gleamed at the thought. "And it's not too expensive?"

"For the quality, no," Lucy laughed, offering Erza a cookie after sitting at the table with the other woman. Erza took it thoughtfully and nibbled at the edge of it, watching as Lucy offered her tea. "They produce great items...that dragon over there is from the shop, too. I thought a friend of mine would like it, but they can't take it home with them, so it stays here."

That was sort of how it worked, after all… Mind you, Natsu couldn't exactly leave the building, so this was technically his home, too.

"I'll go look later today, when Jellal and I are out," Erza said with a pleasant smile. She sipped at the tea after Lucy had made it for her. "He has work off tomorrow...will you be working?"

"Yep." Lucy took a bite out of a cookie. She grinned. "I can't wait to meet him." Erza beamed happily at the thought, and the two settled down to chat with one another.

The entire morning went by peacefully and quickly, and Lucy had made plans to meet with Erza again by the time she left. Lucy had enjoyed their talking. She just hoped Erza had, too.

The second the door clicked shut, heat washed over her, and her desk chair shot around the room, spinning in circles. "Natsu," Lucy giggled, shaking her head in exasperation. "Honestly... _hell_ no," she added when the chair darted over and began to bump into the back of her knees.

She'd sat in that chair once while he'd been playing with it, and _never_ again would she ever do that.

She liked her stomach inside her body, thank you very much.

Lucy worked to clean up the small mess they'd created during their chat, and she somehow managed to avoid Natsu's chair as she did so. The chair was spinning in circles in place again, as if someone had sat in and spun as fast as they could.

Lucy couldn't help but imagine such a thing. It was such a Natsu-like action at moments like this.

She liked to imagine that whoever Natsu was, and no matter how he'd died, he was a friendly person. Of course, she knew he could be screwing with her mind for the time being and that he might actually not be a good guy. For all she knew, he could be some psychotic being who was playing with her until he was ready to kill her in her sleep.

The chair bumped against the back of her knees and Lucy rolled her eyes, gently kicking it back. "Natsu," she scolded, "No. I'm trying to finish up so that I can get ready for when Levy comes over for some TV tonight. Which means no flipping through channels, got - _gah_!" Her words turned into a cry of surprise when the chair _slammed_ into the back of her knees and sent her falling backwards into it.

There was a moment of stunned silence as Lucy comprehended just what had happened, and she would forever regret not using that moment to throw herself out of the chair because the next few were _hell_.

The chair shot forward and Lucy couldn't help the scream that left her as it rocketed in circles around the bar, leaving her to simply cling to the armrests like they were her lifeline.

And she had no doubt that they more than likely were.

"Natsu!" Lucy wailed as it tottered on two wheels around a corner. "Stop!"

If her grip hadn't been so tight on those armrests, she would have gone flying forward, because the chair stopped dead in its tracks.

Lucy threw herself from it, glaring over her shoulder at the chair. "Jerk," she seethed, brown eyes glowing with anger.

The chair merely tipped over and then Natsu must have gone to find something else to entertain him, because it remained there. Lucy climbed to her feet and scowled as she picked the desk chair up and put it back in its original spot.

The young woman glanced at the time and whimpered.

She still had _hours_ before Levy came over.

The lights began to turn on and off _very_ quickly, and Lucy moaned, burying her face in her hands.

 _It's going to be a long day._

* * *

When she opened her eyes the next morning, it was to the sound of bellows on the floor above her. She stared up at the ceiling, ignoring the throbbing headache that accompanied the lovely thing known as a hangover - she and Levy had had a hell of a time the night before, enjoying the peaceful attitude Natsu took on after ten o'clock had passed - and then sighed, throwing an arm over her eyes.

"Damn it," she whispered to no one in particular.

A groan escaped her when her head gave a nasty pound in response.

And another left her lips when a wave of heat suddenly washed over, followed by pulls of her hair. Gentle ones, as if he was doing his best not to wake her too suddenly. "Go away, Natsu," Lucy groaned without moving her arm. "It's too early for this shit."

His tugs persisted.

"Alright," Lucy sighed heavily, "Alright, I'm - what the hell happened up there?" There was another bellow of rage from the room above. She sat up, peering curiously up at the ceiling above her head.

Natsu suspiciously tugged at her hair again. Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Did you do something?"

That wave of heat disappeared in a flash and Lucy groaned, mumbling under her breath as she climbed to her feet, "What did you do now, Natsu?" She reached for the phone charging beside her bed, fully intending to call Gajeel and inform him of what happened.

But rather than letting her do so, Natsu slapped her phone to the ground, and Lucy gawked as it skittered straight underneath her bed. "Natsu," she huffed in protest, somewhat annoyed. Still, she climbed to her feet...only to pause when she stepped in something.

She frowned, hopping on one foot over to the light switch, but Natsu, being the strange ghost he was, simply turned it on for her.

Lucy muttered a thanks - and then shrieked in surprise, nearly falling over as she took in the red substance that now stained her foot. "Oh, my - _Natsu_! What did you _do_?!"

A second later, there was banging on her front door and she hopped as quickly as she could to it. She grabbed some paper towels on her way over to it, throwing the door open. She blinked in surprise. "...Gajeel?"

The man looked furious as he pushed past her, seething, "Where the _fuck_ is that bastard, Lucy?"

Lucy hopped after him, wiping the red from her foot. "Who? Natsu? I don't know exactly where he is. He woke me up and now there's...the hell?" She sniffed at what she'd wiped off her foot. "Huh. There's ketchup on my floor."

"I knew it!" Gajeel snarled, then began shouting, "Come out here, you little rat bastard!" His piercing eyes glowed angrily and gave him a nearly feral look as he gritted his teeth when a book toppled off of Lucy's bookshelf. "Give me on good fucking reason why I shouldn't call for someone to permanently get rid of him, Bunny Girl, or he's gone."

"What'd he do?" Lucy demanded, truly concerned now. She wiped off little drips of ketchup that were on the floor, then went to put the paper towel in the trashcan. She swiped her hands, and then glanced back at him, grateful that she'd decided to wear sweatpants to bed. She spared a look at her clock.

Well. At least she'd only be losing half an hour of sleep.

"There's ketchup _everywhere_ in the apartment above yours!" Gajeel scowled viciously as he turned in a slow circle, more than aware of the heat that had suddenly washed over them. "Guy said it started bleeding out of the walls when he and his wife got into an argument."

"...wait," Lucy said slowly. "It started bleeding out of the walls?"

"What's going on over here?" Levy stepped into the apartment with a yawn, her hand resting lightly on a doorknob. Gajeel stared openly at her, and Lucy slyly smirked at the way his eyes roamed over the skin her pajama shorts showed off and the way that her matching tank top was tugged a bit lower than usual. She scrubbed at an eye, her blue hair sticking up everywhere. "I heard shouting… A lot of people did actually."

"Natsu made the walls bleed ketchup one story up when the couple were in the midst of an argument," Lucy sighed in explanation.

Levy blinked. "He must have had a reason…right, Natsu?" she called.

There was a knock on the wall, and then Lucy's desk chair came flying past again, as if Natsu had thrown himself into it. It soared past them, and then stopped sharply before flying past them again at top speeds.

"See?" Levy said with a shrug. "Why don't you see what the couple was arguing about, or if something was going on? They argue all the time and Natsu's never had a problem with it."

Another knock on the wall, followed by the chair bumping lightly into the back of Levy's knees.

Levy gave the chair a death glare. " _No_. It's too damn early for that, Natsu."

"I don't know why he put some ketchup in _my_ room…" Lucy grumbled, annoyed that she'd have to clean the floors again.

"Who knows?" Levy laughed.

"Easy for you to laugh," Gajeel huffed. "I gotta have some professional people get in there and clean up the mess." He crossed his arms, wrinkling his nose in disgust, and Lucy had to look away with a shudder when it messed with the piercings he wore. She was good friends with Gajeel (well, she at least liked to think she was) but it freaked her out a little.

"Aw, poor Gajeel," Levy giggled, then gave a yawn, waving at them. "Well, I'm gonna go back to bed. My shift doesn't start for another two hours, so...see you later. We still on for tonight, Gajeel?"

Gajeel flashed her a grin despite his annoyance. "You bet, shorty."

Levy beamed, then turned to leave. She paused, however, and glanced thoughtfully back at him, her brow drawing downward in thought. "Do you want me to call about the cleanup, Gajeel? If you want to just deal with the people, I'll take care of it for you."

"Yeah," Gajeel grunted, rubbing the back of his head. "Go ahead. You, blondie," he continued, turning on a grimacing Lucy, who was having her hair tugged every few seconds by someone none of them could see. "You better keep that bastard in your apartment or Levy's, you hear? Bad business for a place to be considered haunted."

"He's a ghost," Lucy said bluntly, swatting at the hot space next to her to try and get the poltergeist to stop screwing with her hair. She received a rather sharp tug for her actions. "What do you think we can do? Levy hasn't exactly found any spell or something to keep him in here."

"I don't use spells, Lucy," Levy scolded, "I use prayers. Big difference there."

"Whatever you say, Levy-chan," Lucy said with a shrug, merely winking. A thought struck her and she shot the large man beside them a evil look. "Wait till she does this little thing where she tricks you into thinking she's taller than she actually is. It's a blast to try and forget that she's as tall as a tree."

"Lu-chan!" Levy wailed as Lucy cackled and Gajeel gave the short woman a suspicious look. Levy's wail became a fearful scream, however, when Natsu took advantage of all of the distractions and slammed the desk chair into the back of her knees, taking her on a ride that had Gajeel grinning despite his rage towards the ghost and Lucy holding her sides in laughter while her hair flew around her face in a tangled mess.

* * *

 _Just a "fun" little chapter that has Natsu pretty much screwing around with everybody. ;) Glad I got this done today...hope you enjoyed! Thanks to reviewers (MarSofTheGalaxies, Maiokoe, Kinsutenekochan, Usweasil, and kat5552), and thanks to you who favorited and followed as well!_


	4. Chapter 4

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

"Ow!"

Lucy swore colorfully, hopping around and shaking out her hand with a glare towards the bathtub. Her good hand was holding her towel up, her blonde hair tumbling around her shoulders. "Damn it, Natsu, you better not be in here!"

There was no response, but Lucy continued to glare accusingly at the water until it finally stopped steaming as it came out of the tap. She reluctantly put the burned hand back under, and sighed in relief when it turned out to be the perfect temperature. She turned the shower head on, grumbling about Natsu and his antics before dropping the towel and stepping into the stream of water, tilting her head back to get to work on washing her hair.

While she usually preferred baths, she didn't have the time to take one at the moment. She had business to attend to, and that business was her first day of working part-time at Gajeel's shop.

She was rather happy at the moment, she thought as she reached for the shampoo. When she'd worried about rent - Gajeel had recently raised it, and she wasn't exactly willing to reach into emergency funds left for her by her family name - the grumpy man had offered both she and Levy part-time jobs at his shop. Both had accepted and after switching her work hours at the cafe to evenings, Lucy had been labeled as the one in charge of everything but actual physical labor in the mornings. Levy took over after lunch.

Lucy cocked her head, frowning suddenly to herself. While she'd had long work hours at the cafe, she _did_ seem to be making more at Gajeel's shop. Maybe she could quit her first job and see if Gajeel would hire her full-time…

Besides. Sting, Rogue, and Gajeel were a hell of a lot better company than some of the pervs at her other job. And while Sting thought he was one of the best in regards to flirting...he really wasn't, and he didn't force his attentions on Lucy. His flirting was more playful and teasing, as if testing the waters. He'd figured out long ago that she wasn't interested, and he was fine with it, content to simply mess around with her.

After she'd finished showering, Lucy quickly dried herself off and dressed in some casual clothes. Gajeel had told her when explaining what she had to do that she was more than welcome to dress however she wanted, and if she could be comfortable...than she was going to be comfortable.

"Natsu!" Lucy glanced around and made her way into her living room after grabbing some shoes and socks. She began to tug them on as she waited for the spirit to respond. When he didn't though, she frowned and stood, spinning in a slow circle to see if she'd missed anything. "Natsu? You here?"

Nothing.

Lucy bit her lip, reluctant to leave the apartment without making sure Natsu was going to behave. But when her phone went off, reminding her she had to leave, Lucy sighed softly and grabbed her jacket, shrugging it on. "Just in case you're here and not replying, I'm leaving now. Be good. Don't destroy things, please."

No response.

Lucy sighed, snatching up her keys. "Fine, jerk. See you later."

She headed for the door, closing and locking it behind her. Lucy tucked her stuff into her pocket, sent the door a final look, and then made her way out of the building, humming softly to herself as she did so. Her dark eyes were thoughtful as she reached her car, ducking into it with a muttered, "Wonder where he is…maybe he's messing with Levy? I'll ask her when I see her during lunch…"

Without another word, Lucy shrugged to herself and started the car.

* * *

Working in Gajeel's shop was a decently enjoyable way to spend her day, Lucy decided as she checked out a piece that a customer had purchased. She smiled warmly as she handed the carefully packaged metalwork over, and then glanced back when she heard a loudly shouted swear followed by a loud crash. "Everything okay back there?" she called, waving as the customer left.

"Fine!" Sting shouted back over the sound of machinery that he was using, though he sounded anything but.

"Don't worry, Lucy," Rogue told her as he set up a piece he'd just finished. He paused to glance at her with amused red eyes. "He drops things fairly often. He has several scars because of it. So even if he ends up in the hospital today, he'll be fine."

"...okay…" Lucy chose not to question it, instead leaning back on her stool and reaching for her book. She'd brought it along to read between customers, as there weren't too many that came in throughout the day. Most people were intimidated by the outward appearance of the building, unaware of what the store truly sold. It didn't help that Gajeel had chosen to set it up in a not-so-trusted part of town.

Another giggle escaped her when Sting snarled another curse. "If he doesn't come out in the next five minutes, I'll go and check on him," she told Rogue, settling down to read.

"The fuck's going on in there?"

She glanced up, slightly annoyed that she hadn't been able to read a word before Gajeel had showed up after doing paperwork all morning. He hated it and had muttered about thinking that it might be a good idea to make her do it.

Lucy had reminded him that she had no idea what she was doing, relieved that she'd saved herself from having to do such a task.

"Sting dropped something, I think," Lucy reported, flashing the irritable man a smile. "Don't worry, we're pretty sure he's okay."

"Bastard better be." Gajeel rubbed the back of his head. "Don't have the money to add onto his paycheck if he isn't."

Lucy shook her head, amused, and Rogue made a sound of annoyance as he went to go make sure his friend wasn't harmed.

Yep, she decided, she really enjoyed working in Gajeel's shop. It was friendly with a great atmosphere and non existing boredom. Lucy opened her mouth to see if Gajeel would give her a full time job - only for her phone to start ringing like crazy in her pocket. She answered quickly after checking to see who it was, and sighed heavily.

"Hi, Levy," she greeted warmly, grinning when Gajeel immediately fell silent, watching her. "What's up?"

"Uh, hello, Lucy," Levy greeted faintly, sounding nervous. "I hate to bother you, but, um, could you see if Gajeel would let you leave early? I think Natsu's screwed with the people upstairs again...I heard screaming, and there was a hell of a lot of noise… I don't want to tell Gajeel, though."

"Right," Lucy grumbled, annoyed with Natsu. Why would he wait until now to cause issues? Frustrated, Lucy turned to Gajeel with a pleading look. "Do you mind if I leave early? Levy wants to have some, uh, girl talk."

Gajeel gave her a suspicious look, clearly not believing what she said, but scowled and said, "Whatever. Make sure you're here on time tomorrow." He narrowed his eye. "That sucker messed anything up in that building and I'm going for an exorcist, you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Gajeel. Hold on, Levy, I'm on my way." Lucy shot him a quick and grateful smile, patted him on the arm and then darted out of the shop, yelling goodbyes to Rogue and Sting as she went. They came out in time to see the doors close behind her, and Gajeel turned his attention onto Sting.

He smiled sheepishly, holding up a heavily bleeding hand. "...I think I need to go to the hospital."

Gajeel swore loudly and threw a pen at him. Sting only laughed and ducked down to avoid it so that it struck Rogue in the face when he turned to glare at his friend. "Fuckin' moron."

* * *

Lucy grimaced as she hurried past the flickering lights in the hall to where Levy's apartment was. She didn't bother to knock upon reaching it, simply throwing the door open and slipping inside. She grimaced at the many, _many_ books that littered the floor. From the looks of it, that was all Natsu had done in here, though. "Levy?"

"Oh, thank god," Levy groaned, coming out of the kitchen with a faint smile. She was a mess, Lucy realized. Her blue hair stuck up all over the place, her eyes wide. "Thanks, I'll make it up to Gajeel for you. It must have started just before I got back from my job at the library, because he only started screwing with my stuff when I shouted at him." She rubbed the back of her head. "He's stopped since I called you...I was going to check on your apartment, but...I don't think he's touched it."

Lucy blinked. "Huh," she huffed, "That's strange. He usually starts there."

"That's why I called you," Levy explained. "The fact that he's begun to mess around with the couple upstairs concerns me…"

"Agreed." Lucy tilted her head back to study the ceiling. "Natsu?" she called.

Almost instantly there was a gentle tug on her shirt, and she sighed at the heat that washed over her, swatting at it. "Natsu," she scolded, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Hm? Why do you keep messing with them? They aren't doing anything- _ow_!"

She stared at where she'd been pinched, the skin turning pink, as if someone had burned her there. "...you did _not_ just pinch me, Natsu," she said darkly.

There was a heartbeat of silence and nothing but sweltering heat before there was a hesitant and gentle tug on her hair. Lucy scowled, swiping her hand through the heat. "Jerk!" she snarled. "You help Levy put things away _right_ now, is that clear? Or she'll do the prayer."

Almost immediately, the books began to edge towards the shelves they'd originally been on, and Levy beamed happily, immediately moving to pick them up. "Thanks, Lucy," she said gratefully. "You can go back and get ready for your job at the cafe if you want...you're going to hang out with Erza and Jellal, right?"

"Yeah," Lucy said happily. "They're stopping by today."

After their first meeting, Lucy had grown fond of Jellal, too. The peaceful couple were unlike many of the younger ones that came through. They stopped to enjoy their surroundings, chatting with each other in hushed voices rather than loud laughter, and Lucy liked that about them. They weren't immature, either. They were friendly, but not nosy, though Erza had shown curiosity when she'd heard Lucy complaining about Natsu at one point - not that Erza had heard the name or the fact that he was a ghost. She'd only been complaining about idiots and how they felt the need to dump her books everywhere.

Levy had met them, too, now. She'd been in ordering something to drink for herself and Gajeel one day when they'd come in, greeting Lucy warmly. Lucy had introduced the pair to Levy, who'd struck up a conversation with both of them, slyly promising that if Erza wanted something from the metalwork shop, she'd get her a discount in exchange for a girl's night out with both of them and Lucy.

Erza had been amused, but had agreed.

Lucy had chosen the right town when she'd picked Magnolia to live in.

"Then go," Levy laughed, shoving her friend towards the door. "I'll stop by this evening and we can have one of our little dinner sessions."

"We haven't had one in a while," Lucy mused, "I blame Natsu."

Every now and then they got together and planned what books they needed to read, talked about how things were going in each other's lives, and basically had fun interventions with minor problems each of them had. And Lucy had a feeling it would include the very poltergeist they were talking about.

The heat followed Lucy after she'd said farewell to her friend and started for her own apartment again. She paused when there was another scream from the floor above and frowned. "What the hell did you do this time?" she muttered, shaking her head. "Nothing too bad I hope?" She didn't receive a response, of course. Not that she expected one.

Contemplating the idea that she might need to go upstairs and check on them, Lucy unlocked the door to her apartment and examined the space she lived in with care. She needed to change into her uniform - a simple black T-shirt and a pair of khakis with professional looking shoes - and then get going. While she'd left earlier, she'd taken a little longer than necessary getting into the vehicle, making sure everything was there.

Lucy bit her lip thoughtfully as she stepped inside. "Natsu, stay in the living room, please. Okay?" A single book was knocked off of her shelf, and she smiled to herself before rushing to get changed.

She was digging through her closet for her shoes - Natsu had been digging around in it the evening before for some reason and had screwed everything up, not bothering to put it back - when she came across it.

Lucy stopped dead in her tracks when she cut her finger, and she winced, studying the paper cut. She popped the digit in her mouth, a habit of hers from when she was a little girl copying her parents' every movement, and frowned. She hadn't put paper in there. She'd simply put her shoes and clothes in there.

Cautiously, Lucy pulled up a light on her phone and shone it in the closet, looking. Finally, she found what had cut her. It had been wedged between the shelf that had been there when she'd moved in and the wall, and Lucy decided it must have come out a little bit when Natsu had been messing around.

She studied it after managing to pull it free, a curious look on her face.

It was a picture. A couple years old by the looks of it, torn from where it had been and Lucy's unhelpful shoving and pushing. It was of a pair of what looked to be teenagers. One was a few inches taller than the other, with dark hair and sharp eyes that just gleamed with his crabby attitude as he stood there with an arm hooked around the other guy's shoulders. A scar decorated his forehead, barely visible beneath his bangs, and Lucy arched an eyebrow at his lack of shirt and pants. He seemed to be in simply his underwear and a necklace that a cross hung from.

It wasn't him that caught her complete and total attention, however.

It was the boy beside him.

He looked just as cranky as the other one, his onyx eyes glaring at the person that was holding the camera. Strange pink hair stuck up in every direction, like he'd stuck his finger into an electrical socket, and he wore a forced smile that even despite his irritated appearance, shone like the sun. Rather than being naked, he was clothed in a simple shirt and jeans, his feet clad in sandals. A scarf that looked to be made of some weirdly crafted material had been thrown around his neck, and Lucy giggled when she noted how close the other one seemed to be to using it to throttling him.

"These must be the previous owner, or maybe before them," she said aloud, cocking her head and flipping the picture over. There was nothing on the back to indicate who it might have been, so she shrugged and tucked it safely into her pocket, grabbing her shoes in a hurry.

She'd talk with Levy about it later, when she had the time.

"Natsu," Lucy warned as she tugged her shoes on, heading for the door in the process. It was a miracle she didn't tip over at some point. "Don't you _dare_ mess with anyone, okay? Please? For me?"

A single tug on her hair.

"Thanks." She smiled hugely, and then bolted out the door, locking it behind her.

How the hell did she leave early and be late anyways?!

* * *

Lucy studied the picture curiously as she sat at a booth alone, waiting on Jellal and Erza to arrive. She'd been given an early break when she'd worked incredibly hard due to lack of staff when someone had suddenly called in sick, and she was more than grateful to rest her aching feet.

"Lucy?"

Lucy's head snapped up at the sound of her name, and she smiled hugely in greeting when she discovered the curious looking Erza and her blue-haired fiancé. "Hi, guys," she greeted, waving for them to join her. She leaned back, frowning when she realized just how messy she looked. "Sorry about my hair, it's been a busy day. Had some issues at my apartment, and then one of our staff called in sick today…"

"Don't worry," Erza laughed, "We all have days like that." Her eyes never left the picture sitting in front of the blonde, even as Jellal greeted Lucy in his quiet and even tone.

"Hello, Lucy," he said, smiling slightly. "We stopped by that metalwork shop you were talking about the other day...it was interesting."

Lucy brightened. "Did you find the sword I was talking about, Erza? I told Gajeel to set it aside in case you came in and wanted to look."

"Yes. I purchased it, and I got a discount thanks to Levy." She gently reached out, hesitantly, and touched the corner of the photo in front of her. "Can...can I see this?"

"Uh, sure?" Lucy flushed, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry about that old thing, I found it in my closet when I was getting ready for work. Gave me a paper cut. Let me tell you, they are _not_ fun when someone needs lemon slices in their iced tea…"

Jellal chuckled. "Sounds painful."

"Very." Lucy flashed him a smile, then frowned when she noticed a suspicious shine in Erza's eyes. "Erza? Is everything alright?"

"Y-yes," the scarlet-haired woman said shakily, smiling faintly as she slid the picture back to her. "Here...it's just...I have the same picture myself. I wondered why I thought I recognized your apartment's address...I knew the people who lived there before you."

Lucy immediately focused on this. "I thought it might be the previous residents...so I was right then."

She nodded. "Yes." She tapped the dark-haired man in the picture with an affectionate smile. "That's Gray Fullbuster, he lives across town with his girlfriend Juvia. We fell out of touch when I left Magnolia a few years back."

"Huh," Lucy hummed, trying to recall if she'd heard the name before. She came up with nothing. "What about this one?" She pointed to the pink-haired man that had caught her attention, and Erza violently shook her head, looking incredibly unhappy.

"Sorry," she said softly, "We don't like to...to talk about him. Um, excuse me, I...I'll be back." She hastily left the booth, looking extremely upset now, and Lucy bit her lip nervously.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I didn't mean to upset her or anything…"

"That's alright," Jellal sighed as he watched after Erza. "She'll be alright. I've tried asking a few times, but all she said was that he went missing a few months before she left Magnolia. It's the only time I've ever seen her cry." He anxiously rubbed his chin in thought. "I can track down that other one's number or something for you if you want. I'm sure she has it somewhere around the house, or you can try asking the one who owns your building. He should have records of that kind of information."

"I might try that." Lucy studied the picture again, frowning to herself.

Just what had happened to the man in the picture that had made Erza so upset?

* * *

 _Things have happened! Notice, please, that Erza did not mention Natsu's name to Lucy yet, so. Luce doesn't know who she's looking at just yet. And no worries guy, Natsu's pissy attitude towards the couple upstairs will be explained soon. ;) Thank you for reading, and thanks to reviewers (CuteKitty264, Maiokoe, GajeelLover, Usweasil, Nalu x Buckets, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, and !) as well as those who favorited/followed! See you next week!_


	5. Chapter 5

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

"Hello again, Lucy."

The voice behind her scared the hell out of her, and Lucy whipped around with wide eyes, a hand pressing over her heart. "Oh my gosh, Jellal, you scared the life out of me!"

The blue-haired man looked at her with amusement from where he was standing, hands shoved into the pockets of his light jacket. "Ah, I apologize. I didn't mean to. I merely thought it'd be a smart idea to say hi. It isn't often you run into people you actually like on the street."

Lucy giggled and rubbed the back of her head. "You've got that right...ran into some guy who thought it'd be smart to grope me in front of my apartment yesterday. A friend of mine dealt with him, so he's not exactly looking his best anymore…"

She didn't mention that her "friend" was a rather cranky poltergeist, who'd chased her out of her own apartment when she'd done who the hell knows what to piss him off. She hadn't been able to track Levy down either, though, as the blue-haired girl had been out on a date with Gajeel.

Hence the reason she was wandering the streets at ten at night.

"Oh?" Jellal gave her a curious look. "What happened?"

 _The lighter in his pocket magically went off!_

"Gave him a couple punches, kicked him out of the building," Lucy lied, giving a very uncommitted wave. "Shall we?" She waved in an invitation for him to join her in a walk, and Jellal smiled slightly before starting forward beside her. "How have you and Erza been? Is Erza feeling any better?"

It had been a week or so since their last conversation at the café. Lucy still carried the old picture she'd found around, looking at it every now and then and contemplating what she was going to do if Gajeel couldn't find the address she'd requested. When Jellal had stopped by alone the day before, he'd told her that Erza had been ill.

"A little," he mused. "She's still being rather homey in the bathroom, but...there's not much I can do to help her. She gets angry when she's sick, so I decided to come out and enjoy the evening."

Lucy giggled. "I feel her pain. At least she has you to keep an eye on her. She's lucky."

Jellal studied her out of the corner of his eye as they walked down the street, looking surprised. "Do you not have someone you're close with, Lucy?"

"I have Levy and Gajeel, although he's mostly there because it's his apartment building," Lucy said simply. She shrugged her shoulders. "My parents...well, my mother died when I was young, and my father wasn't someone I was really close with. When he passed away, I received a large sum of money. Most of the people I've dated are after that or...well, you know. I've pretty much decided I'll be a spinster for life."

"What about that friend from earlier?" he questioned with a frown.

"...he doesn't come around much." Not exactly a lie. He didn't _physically_ come around. And with how things were at the moment, Lucy was very reluctant to call Natsu a friend. As of recently, he was more likely to murder her in her sleep like she'd originally been frightened of.

"Hm. I'm sure you and Erza will be good friends," Jellal said firmly.

Lucy hummed her agreement, and then admitted, "I did what you suggested and asked Gajeel for the address of the previous tenants." She smiled brightly. "He's been hunting it down when he's not working."

"That's great," Jellal said enthusiastically. The man tugged thoughtfully at a lock of his hair, glancing at her. "Has he come up with anything?"

"Not yet. Apparently Gray Fullbuster moved out before he took over, so he has to dig through things he didn't organize, which makes it incredibly hard for him to find anything." Lucy huffed softly, annoyed. "And it's classified kinds of things, so Levy and I can't help him. Privacy issues, what not."

"Ah," Jellal murmured. "That would be an issue...I'm sure he'll find it though. Have no fears, Lucy."

"Thanks." She flashed Jellal a quick smile, and then crossed her arms over her chest. "I'd better head back...I'll more than likely have some cleaning to do in my apartment. And I'm sure you have to get back to Erza."

"Yes, I suppose I do," Jellal chuckled. He turned on his heel to head back the way he'd come, giving a small wave. "I suppose I'll talk to you later then. Goodbye, Lucy."

"Bye!" Lucy smiled at him over her shoulder, and then started back for her own place. A sigh escaped her lips as she walked, ignoring the darkness around her.

She'd considered taking her car, but she'd been in need of a long walk. A long walk in the drizzling weather.

A long walk that was nearly three miles away from her apartment.

 _Damn it. And Levy's still on that stupid date…_

Time to start walking.

* * *

"Thank the heavens," Lucy groaned in relief as she trudged through her door. She locked it behind her and then turned to eye her apartment warily.

It was clean, much to her surprise. There was no sign of any destructive poltergeists. Not even a bit of heat - nope, that was a lie, Lucy realized as heat washed over her, enveloping her in a gentle way that made her smile as she dragged herself over to the couch. She sat down, glancing this way and that, wishing she could see Natsu not for the next time. "Done being cranky, Natsu?"

One book fell from her bookshelf after the heat had gone away, just as he usually did, and Lucy rolled her eyes before dropping her head back. "Jerk.'

She really needed to figure out why he was being so angry lately. It was starting to worry her. She felt the heat come back. A gentle tug on her hair made her smile and muse, "Sorry. I'm tired. You made it so I had a rough day. I don't think my head has ever hurt this much from you yanking on my hair," she added, remembering how he'd ripped and tugged until she'd left.

The lock he'd tugged on was patted back into place, and she smiled slightly at the strange feeling of something patting her head. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Thank you. It's nice to know you're not so much of a jerk that you won't apologize."

She remained on the couch for some time, catching what minutes she could of sleep. She'd been more tired recently, she'd noticed. _Maybe I should go to the doctor...eh. I'll be fine. Gotta work for my rent, figure things out, the likes…_

A knocking on her door scared her back to life and she groaned as she hauled herself off of the couch. Natsu had long since gone to do who the hell knows what - nope. She knew what he was doing, and she shouted over the sounds of clanking pans that were banging against each other, "Shut up!"

The pans fell silent.

 _Thank you_ , Lucy silently grumbled. She opened the door. "Oh, hi, Gajeel," she said tiredly, "What can I do for you?"

The dark-haired man gave her a strange look. "Were those-"

"Yeah." Lucy waved him off, then stepped out of the way. "Natsu's being stupid again. I'm pretty sure he's screwing with my pans and pots and whatnot. Hi, Levy, didn't see you there."

Levy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, kind of hard to do when giants are in the way." She pushed past Gajeel and entered the apartment, calling cheerfully, "Hey, Natsu! Behaving yourself?"

The pots that had been clanking whammed together once, and she giggled before nudging Gajeel. "Show her, Gajeel, you've been wanting to all evening. He was distracted on our date," she explained to Lucy, "And when I asked why, he said that he'd found what you wanted."

Lucy's eyes went wide, and she beamed in excitement. "You found his address?"

Gajeel gave a curt nod. "I found the address, but fuck that. I'll get in less trouble for giving ya the phone number." He slapped a piece of paper into her hand, and Lucy gave him a happy look. "This is all on you, got it? I had nothing to do with this."

"Thank you, Gajeel," Lucy said truthfully. She jumped in terror when something loud clashed together right beside her ear, and she whirled around to see a set of pans clanking together, dashing this way and that around the apartment, as if they were flying by themselves. "Jerk!" she snapped, glaring at nothing in particular as Gajeel and Levy snickered behind her.

The pans only slammed against each other a few more times before clattering to the floor, followed by the sound of stomping feet from upstairs. Lucy glared at the ceiling as she heard a shout for her to cut it out. "I don't like them."

"They're moving soon," Levy sighed, sounding relieved. "And it's only the husband that I don't like. Scares me a bit. The wife is fine."

Gajeel frowned, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't like the fucking moron running around clanking pans together. Still cleaning up that fucking ketchup."

Lucy exchanged an amused look with Levy and then giggled, "Well, go hang out or something. I'm going to call this number and hope the person on the other end doesn't get pissed off with me."

"Aw," Levy pouted. "We wanted to watch… Oh, well. Come on, Gajeel," she said with a happy look, grabbing him by the arm and hauling him back out the door. "I have some movies in my place we can watch. Natsu," she paused to shout over her shoulder. "Don't you _dare_ come and interrupt our fun, you hear me?!"

A knock on the wall. Lucy grinned at the second soft one only she heard as she bid the two farewell and closed the door behind them.

Natsu only tugged gently at her hair, messing with it before disappearing from her apartment - or, that's what she thought. She was pretty sure that he'd gone to mess with Levy if the silence in her apartment was anything to go by.

Huffing out a soft sigh, Lucy went to her phone, flopping onto the couch. She began to dial in the number she'd been given, humming softly as she did so. She held her phone up to her ear, chewing on her lip nervously as the line began to ring.

"Hello?" a rough voice suddenly greeted, making her jump.

She hesitated before saying nervously, "Hi, I'm looking for Gray Fullbuster?"

"...that's me," the person said slowly, sounding wary. "What can I do for you?"

Lucy searched her pocket for the picture, pulling it out and studying the dark-haired man curiously. She made a face, feeling a bit odd about knowing what the man she was talking to looked like. Setting it aside, she said, "Hi, my name's Lucy Heartfilia." _Please don't say anything about my name, I'm not in the mood!_ But he didn't, and she sighed softly before continuing, "You were the previous tenant of the apartment I live in apparently, and I think I found something of yours."

"Oh." Silence, and then he asked curiously, "The hell did you find? Thought I grabbed everything."

Lucy had to fight back a smile. "A picture of yours. A friend of mine, Erza? She said she was an old friend of yours. She pointed out who you were in it, so I talked to the owner of the building. He got your number for me - please don't sue him or anything, I was just trying to get it back to you."

"Don't have the money to sue him. Ouch! Juvia, watch it, that hurts, woman!"

Lucy couldn't stop the soft giggling that escaped her as the woman he was talking to retorted, "Gray-sama shouldn't be on the phone this late at night. Juvia has to work early in the morning."

"Okay, okay, woman. I'll go into the living room. Go back to sleep." There was the sound of shuffling and then a door closing before he spoke again. "Anyways...wouldn't mind seeing whatever picture you found. I'm off work tomorrow. You got anything going on?"

Lucy blanched. He really needed to work on his words. _Seriously, person. Don't make it sound like that._ "Yes. I have two jobs I work, but the one I work in the morning is slow, so if you want to stop by, I can take my break and we can talk."

"Great. What's the place?"

Lucy gave him the address of Gajeel's shop, feeling slightly relieved that he'd easily agreed to meet her there. Gajeel would be in tomorrow, as would Rogue. Sting was off, letting his hand heal after he'd managed to get an infection.

"Sweet. I'll stop by about ten o'clock. That work for you?"

"Yep. Thank you, Fullbuster-san-"

"Call me Gray. Hate being all formal and stuff. Doubt you want to say all of that anyways. Can be a mouthful."

Lucy grinned. "Call me Lucy." She fought back a groan as the lights suddenly began to flicker on and off. Natsu's sign for something was wrong. _The hell did you do now?_ she silently wailed. "Anyways, thank you. I'm sorry for calling so late, I just got the number a few minutes ago."

"It's fine, lady. Couldn't sleep anyways. Girlfriend was trying to - uh, sorry, too much information for someone I've never seen face to face. Bye."

Lucy burst into laughter the second the line clicked off, not even bothered by the rapidly flicking lights. "N-Natsu, cut it out," she wheezed, "You're...you're making me…"

She was still laughing when Gajeel came banging on her door, bellowing for her to open up and let him try and figure out a way to catch Natsu.

* * *

"Here you go," Lucy said cheerfully after handing over the purchased work. She'd carefully wrapped it to help keep it from breaking, and she smiled as the customer left before glancing at the clock. Any minute now, she noted. Any minute now, Gray Fullbuster would show up.

"You're impatient today," Rogue observed from where he was carefully chipping away at his own work. He'd shed his shirt a while back, working intently at a piece that had required forging. A piece that had been commissioned by none other than a very eager Erza Scarlet according to Gajeel.

In other words, he was grateful she'd brought in such a good customer.

Rogue had put aside the blade to work at the hilt now, and he glanced up at her, red eyes piercing from behind the protective glasses he'd put on. "Don't think I've ever seen you look at the clock so many times in under a minute."

"I'm waiting on someone," Lucy admitted, sitting back. "Meeting with me about something."

"Ah." Rogue paused to cautiously carve something into the material he was working with. "Boyfriend?"

Lucy sputtered. "Honestly! I don't have a boyfriend. The guy has a girlfriend by the name of Juvia. Mind your own damn business, Rogue."

Rogue chuckled. "Whatever you say, Lucy," he muttered, returning to what he'd been doing.

There were a few minutes of silence before the bell that signaled someone entering the shop finally rang. Lucy glanced up and nervously smiled. It was clearly Gray Fullbuster, she decided. He looked the same as he had in his picture though a little bit older. He was taller than she'd thought, though, and-

"Oh my gosh," Lucy squealed, covering her eyes. "Rogue! Rogue, make him put his clothes back on!"

Rogue glanced up and then swore colorfully as he straightened, giving him a threatening glare. "You don't just walk into shops half-naked! Get dressed or get out!"

"Shit," he muttered, clearly annoyed as he backtracked. When he came back inside, he was fully clothed, already plucking at the buttons of his shirt. "Sorry, stupid habit of mine...looking for a Lucy?"

Lucy peeked out from between her fingers. "Right here," she said faintly, dropping her hands. She smiled hesitantly as he walked over, offering a hand to shake. "I'm Lucy."

"Gray," he replied, shaking her hand. Gray rubbed the back of his head with a huff. "Sorry 'bout that...dunno where the hell I got the habit, but I have it, and it's a pain in the ass…"

"Believe me," Lucy sighed, shaking her head and thinking of Natsu. "I've seen worse. Anyways...Rogue, I'm taking my break now! If Gajeel comes around, let him know, would you?" Rogue grunted, lifting a hand to show he'd heard before focusing intently on the hilt of the sword he was working with.

"This way, we can talk in our break room…" Lucy motioned for Gray to follow her, and led him through the shop to a room in the back. He peered around curiously as he did so. "Have a seat," she told him, taking one herself at the small table they'd set up. Lucy silently thanked Levy for making Gajeel clean out a useless supply closet.

Gray smirked slightly as he dragged a chair out, folding his hands behind his head. "So you have a picture you said was mine? And Erza was the one who recognized it?"

Lucy nodded, rummaging in her pocket for a moment before placing it on the table. "Yep. Erza pointed you out when she saw it, so I thought I'd see if you wanted it before I did anything with it."

"Haven't talked to her in years," he mused. "You got her phone number? Kinda need to call her, see how she's been."

"I'll give it to you," Lucy promised with a small laugh, watching as he silently examined the photo.

"Huh," he said after a few moments, sitting back. His dark eyes were narrowed, his hand tugging uncomfortably at the collar of his shirt. "Wondered where this went...heh. Can't believe Erza managed to get us to hold still long enough to get a picture of the two of us."

Lucy hesitated, and then asked,messing with her fingers, "Can I ask who the other one is? The guy with the pink hair? Erza wouldn't say…"

Gray glanced up in surprise. "Oh, him? That's my old roommate. Used to split the cost of rent with him...he slept on the couch 'cause he moved in when I was about a year into living in the place. We were good friends, even if we did argue a lot." He smirked. "Bastard disappeared on us. Just vanished out of the blue one day, like his father. Probably why Erza didn't say much about him."

Lucy blinked. "What's his name?" she said, suspicious.

"Why?" Gray glanced at her curiously and she shrugged, muttering under her breath, "Entertain me."

"Natsu. His name was Natsu Dragneel."

* * *

 _Hello! Lucy's finally got a name, yes? The question now is how did Natsu die? You'll have to wait and find out! Thanks to reviewers (ilftnatsu, maalikdb, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, Kinsutenekochan, Usweasil, and the guests!) as well as those who favorited and followed! I hope you enjoyed!_


	6. Chapter 6

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

 _"Bastard disappeared on us. Just vanished out of the blue one day, like his father. Probably why Erza didn't say much about him."_

Lucy found herself unable to forget Gray's words as she nibbled at a bagel, her hair pulled out of her face in a sloppy ponytail. She'd dressed herself sloppily as well, in a pair of comfortable sweatpants and an old T-shirt, not caring about her appearance since she'd been given the day off from both of her jobs.

The young woman tossed the last bite into her mouth and went to dump her plate in the sink, finally releasing her hold on it. She'd been holding it down from the second she'd put it on the table, as a certain spirit had been more than determined to try and send it skittering around the apartment.

 _There's no way it's not the Natsu here_. Lucy had decided this since her meeting with Gray a few days before, and she was stuck on the fact that they had no idea that their friend was dead. If what Gray had said was right, then in their eyes, Natsu had simply disappeared off the face of planet.

She sighed softly.

Maybe it was time to pull the ouija board out again…

There was no way in hell; change of plans. Lucy didn't think they'd be able to get anything out of the poltergeist. Not after the last time she and Levy had tried it. They'd barely been able to pry a name out of him.

She sank her teeth into her lower lip as she dumped the plate in the sink, brushing her hands free of crumbs. Lucy ignored the fact that there were some bananas sliding towards the edge of the counter, instead going to sit back at the table, where she'd set out some paperwork she'd agreed to do for Gajeel so that he could take the next day off and do something with Levy.

Lucy smiled at the thought. The tough and grumpy dark-haired man was closer with Levy than even she was. It stung a little to think that she might have been replaced, but she pushed the feeling of despair aside in favor of feeling proud of her short friend. Everyone deserved some sort of happiness; Levy was getting some happiness that was well-deserved.

And in such a short amount of time, too.

A piece of paper began to slide across the table and Lucy reached out to slap her hand over it, snapping, "Natsu, stop. Don't screw with this stuff, I'm busy right now. Please."

The paper went still, and Lucy sighed in exasperation as some of the chairs at her table began to slide backwards. Ignoring them as they began to dance around on different legs, Lucy simply check marked something and moved onto the next page.

She didn't mind doing paperwork. It was a good way to clear your mind, empty it and think about several things, all while being productive.

Like she was doing.

Except she wasn't getting very far because of a certain someone who was beginning to sharply tug at her hair, demanding her attention.

Lucy lost patience. " _What_?" she snarled. "I'm busy, Natsu!"

Silence, her hair falling back to rest on her shoulders.

And then there was a nasty yank on her blonde hair that had her crying out in surprise and pain, clutching the sore spot on her head and nearly toppling backwards out of her chair. Another one actually had the chair tipping. She grunted in pain as the breath rushed out of her when she hit the ground with a loud crash..

It fell quiet, and Lucy whimpered as she tenderly touched the spot, grimacing when it pained her to even gently skim her fingers over it.

Shakily, Lucy sat up, tears burning in the back of her eyes. "Ow," she murmured, climbing to her feet. She shakily began to put the chairs back, lifting her own from the ground. She could feel the searing heat that told her Natsu was with her, perhaps even mere breaths away, but he was silent. He refused to do anything now, simply daring her to snarl something at him again.

She pressed her lips together, searching the empty air for a few moments before shaking her head, pressing a hand gently over where he'd yanked painfully. She carefully gathered the paperwork, her fingers and hands trembling as she did so.

She didn't say a single word as she left the apartment, phone and keys in hand, pausing only to say bye to her cat.

* * *

Levy was just getting off of her shift at the library when Lucy arrived, looking tired, pained, and simply upset. She took one look at the blonde woman, and then turned to a co-worker. "Could you run and get me two cups of coffee from the break room, Lisanna? I need to have a discussion with my friend…"

The cheerful blue-eyed woman smiled and winked. "Sure thing, Levy. Looks like she needs it. I'll bring some of those scones Mira-nee sent us this morning, too, if you want."

"Thanks," Levy said with a bright smile, and then hurried to catch Lucy, fixing her headband as she went.

By the time she'd reached her, Lucy had found herself a seat at one of the tables, and she was setting out a bunch of papers. She glanced up when Levy dropped into the seat beside her and demanded, "What's wrong? You look upset."

Lucy ran her hand down her face, saying in a muffled voice, "Natsu. He's causing problems again." She tenderly touched her head. "He pulled my hair. Hard."

"He's been getting worse," Levy commented, propping her chin on her open palm. "That's not good...we may have to call in professionals soon, you know. I love Natsu to death, don't get me wrong, he can be adorable. But...we can't have him hurting you or anyone else…"

"I know." Lucy sighed softly. "I didn't tell you...I think I may have found something out about him."

Levy's eyes went wide. "You _did_?"

Lucy grinned. "Yeah, remember that picture I found?" Levy nodded. "Well, I called the number that Gajeel gave me. I met up with Gray Fullbuster in Gajeel's shop the next day, showed him the picture. Turns out that the pink-haired one in the picture was a guy by the name of Natsu Dragneel."

Levy's eyes snapped wide. "Wow," she breathed. "So...huh. That's weird."

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, her brown eyes narrowing in thought. "Here's the thing though, Levy-chan. Apparently, according to Gray, he disappeared. Just up and vanished one day, and they have no idea where he might be."

"They have no clue that he's dead," Levy realized. "Have you mentioned anything around Natsu yet?"

"No, I've only really done it when he was at your place or when I was at work." Lucy smiled sheepishly. "I don't think he'd like that I'm screwing around with what might be his past. I want to figure out how he died, though. It can't be fun, being stuck in the same apartment building forever. I want to see if maybe we can help him move on."

"Not a bad idea." She messed with a lock of blue hair that hung out from under the headband. "Just be careful...Natsu might not like it. Like you said. Okay? If he's getting this violent, there may be now helping him move on."

"I think he did it because I was ignoring him," Lucy admitted, making a face. "He wanted my attention on him and I ignored him...oh! Thanks, Lisanna." She smiled as Lisanna, who'd appeared, gently set a cup of coffee and a scone in front of her.

Lisanna winked as she did the same for Levy. "No problem, Lucy. Everything okay?"

Lucy smiled at her in response. "Yes. Just a few issues with my apartment. Levy's going to come over and help me after she's done with her work at Gajeel's. Your sister's shift is tonight, right?"

"Yep. Good luck if you go there while Mira-nee's around," Lisanna told her as she headed back for the front desk. "She's on fire today. She's been baking since four in the morning, when Laxus called to let her know he was coming back soon."

Lucy giggled, thinking of the excitable Mirajane. Somehow, such an idea didn't surprise her. Mirajane's husband, Laxus, had been away for a few months with a group of three, working on something they refused to speak about. Lucy could see the excited skip in Lisanna's step and guessed it was because it meant Lisanna's own boyfriend, Bickslow, would be returning as well.

"Anyways…" Levy turned back to her friend. "I think we need to start being a bit more careful around Natsu, Lu-chan. If he's getting to be like this, it could end badly."

"I know, I know. I want to help him before it gets to that point though, so don't worry about it, okay?" Lucy waved off Levy's concerns. "I'm going to see what I can find about him. I might have Gray come over - with his girlfriend invited as well, of course, because I'm not that kind of person. Tell them it's for dinner. See what happens."

"If my apartment burns down," Levy threatened darkly, "You're paying for everything. You hear me?"

Lucy waved off her concerns. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Levy-chan. Do you think Gajeel could find anything else about Natsu in those records of his?"

"Maybe. I'll ask if you really want me to." She sighed heavily and climbed to her feet. "I have to go to his shop now, so...I'll ask while I'm there. He's miraculously there every time I walk in anyways."

"Thank you, my beloved blue-haired friend," Lucy said dramatically as she devoured the scone in her hand, happy to eat Mirajane's food. "I'll make sure to repay you in some kind of way."

"You better." Levy mumbled. She gave a wave to her friend and then started for the doors of the library, silently contemplating if she should tell her.

 _...nah. She'll find out if she's that desperate. Besides, I know Lisanna doesn't like to talk about him much either…_

* * *

"Huh. Didn't know you came here."

Lucy glanced up at the startled and faintly familiar voice, recognizing it as soon as she saw the naked chest of the man who stood before her table. She arched an eyebrow at Gray's half-nakedness, but the weary looking woman beside him barely noticed. She flushed in annoyance, looking back down at the book she'd been reading. "Uh, could you put on a shirt? That'd be great."

Gray swore and the woman beside him giggled, offering an article of clothing that she'd remembered to grab for him. "Here, Gray-sama."

"Thanks," he muttered, yanking it over his head, more than aware of the glares he was receiving. "Anyways...since when did you come here?"

"I work here most of the week," Lucy retorted. "I usually come in later though...had some issues in my apartment and decided it wouldn't be a good idea to go back for the time being." She smiled in a friendly way at the woman beside him, now happy that she'd chosen to come to the cafe despite Mirajane's current cooking spree. "Hi. I'm Lucy."

"Juvia," she responded curiously, giving her boyfriend a suspicious glare. Lucy's lips twitched at the sight. "Gray-sama, would you like Juvia to go get our food?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," Gray said eagerly, looking excited at the prospect of food. He paused to look at the blonde again, cocking his head slightly. His dark eyes studied her. "You mind if we join you? Look like ya could use some company."

"Apparently everyone thinks so," Lucy sighed, pushing her book away completely. She leaned back in her seat as Juvia glared at her before hurrying to fetch something for herself and Gray. "She's a real ball of sunshine, isn't she?"

Gray sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Juvia's...Juvia. She's getting better. Used to be obsessed to the point that I couldn't go anywhere near her apartment without seeing posters with my face on them hanging around."

"Creepy," Lucy mused aloud.

"Used to be. She's better, like I said." Gray eyed her out of the corner of his eye, dark eyes thoughtful. "What kind of issues are ya having with your apartment? Is what's his name fixing them?"

Lucy grinned. Gajeel had walked in on their little chat about the picture of Gray and Natsu a few minutes after she'd learned that it was actually Natsu in it. He'd been grumpy about the matter, annoyed that she'd let someone who wasn't in an employee into the room. When Lucy had introduced them to each other, Gajeel had merely grunted about them needing to come up with some other meeting place before heading back to the front desk to help someone who'd come in and rang the bell.

"It's not really something Gajeel can fix." Lucy watched him carefully as she spoke now. She wanted to prod at the thought, see what kind of reaction she might get out of Gray over such a matter. "I have to wait for Levy's shift at Gajeel's shop to end so that she can come over and get rid of my roommate for a little bit. He's been an ass today."

Gray didn't bat an eye. "Didn't know you had a roommate."

She snorted. "Didn't ask for him, that's for sure." Lucy reached for her somewhat cold tea. "What do you think about ghosts, Gray?"

He stared at her for a few moments. And then he burst into loud laughter that had Juvia hurrying back with food and drinks in hand and earned them a few curious stares. He laughed harder when Lucy rolled her eyes and sipped at her tea. "Ghosts?" he finally wheezed out. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Lucy muttered, setting her tea aside with a huff. "Ghosts. There's one in the apartment. He's freaking insane. Went upstairs and had ketchup bleed from the walls, and he likes to screw with my stuff. Technically, he's considered a poltergeist. I mean, until lately, he's been fine, not hurting anyone. But he was a jerk this morning, hurt my head pretty bad when I wouldn't do what he wanted…" She tenderly touched her head in thought. "Stop laughing, damn it, I'm serious!"

"Juvia believes you, Lucy-san," Juvia said kindly, glaring at her boyfriend as he doubled over in laughter again. She smiled despite her annoyance towards Lucy's friendliness with her boyfriend. She winked. "Gray-sama doesn't believe in such things, but I can see them. I hear them as well."

There was a moment of silence as Gray's laughter cut off.

And then it was back full force. "C'mon, Juvia," he cackled, shaking his head as he took a bite of the pastry she'd brought for him. "There's no such thing. Those things are just little things that look different out of the corner of your eye."

Juvia puffed up her cheeks in anger and kicked him underneath the table. Tucking a lock of blue hair behind her ear, she told Lucy, "Juvia's been able to see them for a long time."

"Really." Lucy peered curiously at her.

"Really," Juvia confirmed with a gentle smile. She nibbled at her own pastry, her finger brushing along the rim of her plastic coffee cup. Her blue eyes were serious as she scolded, "Gray-sama should stop laughing; they don't like when you laugh at them. It invites the bad ones into our home."

Gray snorted. "Sure. Whatever you say, Juvia."

"Anyways," Lucy sighed, turning back to Juvia. "Would you maybe be willing to come over sometime? Levy likes to learn about this kind of thing, and I want to see what I can do to help him."

Juvia paused. "...Lucy-san," she said gently. "Not every spirit wants to be helped. Some of them become violent over time as well...it's dangerous to have such things in your home for too long."

"I'll just have to be careful then," Lucy said firmly. "Please? I want to know if it's just someone messing with me or if it's a legitimate evil one or something."

Juvia nodded slowly. "Juvia will come. Are you free this evening? Juvia doesn't work. Gray-sama works to make money for both of us."

"I'm off today," Lucy told her. "Sundays are my break days."

"Then Juvia will be over at eight." Juvia smiled warmly at the young woman across from her, looking excited. "Juvia doesn't have many friends. I hope we can be friends?"

"Sure," Lucy said with a giggle. "Levy will be willing as well, I'm sure." She peered curiously at Juvia for a second and then asked hesitantly, "How did you realize what you were seeing? And when did you start seeing them?"

Juvia froze, and then picked her next words with care. "Juvia," she said slowly, "Was badly hurt once. When I was little, there was a man who came into a store while Juvia was shopping with my mother." Lucy fought back a small sigh at the fact that she quickly switched between the third person and the first. "He was intending to rob the store. When the cashier wouldn't do as told, he shot Juvia." Juvia touched her side with a faint smile. "Juvia nearly died. After that, Juvia saw a lot of ghosts."

"A NDE," Lucy realized. "You had a near-death experience."

Juvia nodded. "Yes. Some of them are quite scary. Juvia has nightmares after particularly bad looking ones."

"You never told me that," Gray muttered, looking slightly annoyed to have had to learn such an important thing about Juvia in this way. He threw an arm around her shoulders and Juvia leaned into him. Lucy smiled slightly at how easily they fit next to each other. "Anyways, we need to get a move on and finish our shopping if you want to go over to her place at eight."

"Right." Juvia quickly shoved the last bite of her food into her mouth and swallowed before smiling brightly at Lucy. "Juvia knows where your apartment is. See you at eight, Lucy-san!"

"Just Lucy is fine," Lucy giggled, waving as the two climbed out of their seats and disposed of their trash before heading for the door.

Her stomach twisted nervously.

This would confirm once and for all that this was the Natsu from Gray's picture.

And while she was excited, she was nervous.

Natsu was already being cranky enough. She didn't really want to piss him off beyond repair.

She rather liked being alive.

* * *

 _I love Juvia. She's a rather lovely/difficult person to write. I myself speak in the third person on occasion though, so. Juvia's speaking skills here is literally how I talk on occasion. I have issues. Next chapter Juvia's coming over to Lucy's apartment, yay! And, because I'm feeling rather happy today...hope you're ready for something big to happen! Thanks to reviewers (Maiokoe, maalikdb, ilftnatsu, NaLu x Buckets, Kinsutenekochan, Usweasil, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, Drooblesisafunnyword, PuckSabrinaDaphne, CuteKitty264, and to all guests!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	7. Chapter 7

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

Lucy chewed thoughtfully on her nail from where she sat on the couch. Happy was in her lap, purring up a storm as she ran her fingers through his thick fur, and Levy was curled up on the couch beside her, legs tucked up against her chest. The TV was on, and both's eyes were trained on it. Both of them were waiting for eight o'clock, though, and their eyes kept darting to the clock hanging on Lucy's wall.

Natsu had been fairly calm since Levy had arrived only an hour before. He was currently spinning a chair slowly in the center of the room they sat in, careful not to block the TV and occasionally tugging on Levy's hair. He didn't dare touch Lucy after what he'd done earlier in the morning.

She certainly didn't mind. She was still kind of upset over the matter.

Finally, the doorbell rang.

Levy hopped to her feet eagerly. She'd been informed of Lucy's meeting with Juvia and Gray upon her arrival, and had been excited for Juvia to come over. "I'll get it," she told Lucy, ignoring the curious tug on her hair as Natsu's chair stopped spinning.

Lucy listened as Levy opened the door and invited Juvia inside, introducing herself as she did so. She smiled when Juvia appeared, her eyes darting this way and that, as if she was searching for the very ghost Lucy had mentioned. "Hello, Lucy."

"Hi, Juvia!" Lucy smiled hugely and gently pushed Happy out of her lap. She crossed her arms as she stood. "I'll get some tea made for us if you two want. Then we can get down to business. I don't know where he went...he was just messing around with that chair a second ago…"

Juvia nodded thoughtfully, her blue eyes searching the living room and traveling to Lucy's kitchen. "Not many of them appreciate being seen," she explained. "It may not like it. Do you have a name?"

Lucy picked her next words very carefully. "Please don't freak out or anything, because I know you and Gray knew him, but he told us his name was Natsu. I didn't want to say anything, because I don't know if it's your Natsu, but..."

Juvia froze, her lips parting in surprise and her hands clenching into fists. She trembled for a second, and then let out a sharp breath, her lips twisting into a dry smile. "Juvia had suspicions...Natsu would not have simply up and left us. He was a very loyal person. Juvia is nearly positive that it is likely the Natsu we knew."

Levy's gaze darkened sympathetically and she exchanged a look with Lucy, who murmured an apology to Juvia before going to quickly make tea. By the time she'd come back with a tray full of teacups, brewed tea, and more, Levy and Juvia had fallen into a comfortable chat, and Juvia was making herself at home, holding Happy with a smile on her face.

"Here we go," Lucy said cheerfully as she set the tray down on the coffee table.

"Thanks, Lu-chan," Levy said cheerfully, going to work on making their cups for them. She handed Juvia one first, and then Lucy before making one for herself. "Okay! Now down to business…"

"Juvia hasn't seen him yet," Juvia said firmly. "But Juvia knows he is here. Juvia can feel it. Natsu is watching us."

"Jerk," Lucy growled. "Needs to get his ass out here. Just trying to help his sorry self."

Juvia's gaze snapped to a spot just over Lucy's shoulder. The blonde was on her knees on the couch, turned towards them. "Hm…" she hummed, taking a sip of her tea before setting it aside. "Perhaps Juvia should call Gray-sama? Gray-sama and Natsu may have been best friends, but they were constantly arguing and throwing around insults. Juvia knows he would come if Gray-sama was here."

Lucy shivered violently as a massive wave of heat washed over her. Juvia's gaze remained locked on the spot over her shoulder, not daring to leave it as she gave a sweet smile. "Hello, Natsu," she greeted softly. Silence, and Lucy glanced over her shoulder before gawking at Juvia when the blue-haired woman scolded, "We've been worried for years, and here you are, messing with Juvia's new friend all the time!"

"So...what's he saying?" Levy questioned, watching curiously.

Juvia snorted. "Natsu is telling Juvia that Juvia worries too much. Juvia has reasons to worry, Natsu," she replied to the spirit that the other two couldn't see. She listened, and then huffed. "Gray-sama's fine. So is everyone else the last time we checked. You're the one who went missing. Now. Juvia wants to know why you're a ghost."

Lucy squirmed in her seat so that she was sitting properly on the couch, her feet hanging over the edge. The heat was still there, telling her that Natsu was mere inches from her. Even as she thought about it, there was a gentle tug on her hair. "Stop that," she huffed, flushing. It was one thing when you couldn't see who was doing it, but Juvia was watching, and she even knew who Natsu had been before his death.

Juvia giggled. "Natsu thinks it's funny," she told Lucy. "He says he likes the look on your face."

Lucy smoothed her expression out immediately as Levy struggled not to cry from her laughter. "It's not funny," she whined to her friend, who only laughed harder.

Juvia chatted with the ghost for a few more minutes before Juvia tried again. "Natsu? How did you end up a spirit in Lucy's home? Juvia didn't sense you before Gray-sama moved out."

The heat vanished.

Lucy's head snapped around. "Where'd he go?" she questioned. "Is he still here?"

Juvia tapped her lip thoughtfully. "Natsu is still in the building, but he doesn't want to talk to Juvia anymore." She cocked her head to the side, blue hair falling over her shoulder. "Juvia upset him. He doesn't like to talk about what happened. Juvia thinks he doesn't know."

"How do you not know how you died?" Levy demanded in bewilderment.

"There are plenty of times," Lucy said quietly, "That things happen too fast for you to understand. Maybe it was something like that? For all we knew, he could have been killed in an accident that he didn't see coming."

"I suppose," Levy agreed, wrinkling her nose. "So we know it's Natsu Dragneel for sure now. The next thing we're going to have to do is figure out how or where he died...I'm assuming you'll want to help us, Juvia-chan?"

"Yes, please," Juvia said with a saddened smile. "Gray-sama will help, too. I'm sure he'll want to try and prove it isn't Natsu, but...it might be good for Gray-sama to end his worries soon. Juvia doesn't want to be only a girlfriend forever." She suddenly glanced around, frowning. She cocked her head as if listening. "...Natsu doesn't want us to look though."

"Too bad for you, Natsu," Lucy scolded. "You can't possibly want to be stuck here forever, not able to go wherever normal ghosts go...don't you want to join us there someday?" Her voice was gentle, her eyes determined. "We'll figure it out, and we'll help you get there, okay? So don't be an idiot. Let us help you."

The lights flickered violently, heat filling the room again. The TV turned on and began to flicker through several channels nonstop, and it only got worse. Books flew from their shelves and the three women threw their arms up to protect their faces. Lucy heard the stove turn on, the fire blazing dangerously. Drawers began to open and slam shut and the pictures rattled on the walls. Noise filled the apartment until Lucy shouted over it, "Alright, alright, you freaking jerk, we get it! You don't want us looking so do you mind not making so much noise? Any more complains to Gajeel and I'll have to move out!"

Natsu fell silent.

Wiping the sweat from her head, Levy murmured, "So...no looking then?" She winked playfully at both of them and a smile formed on Lucy's face as she gave a dramatic sigh. "

"Fine," Juvia murmured, a secretive smile on her lips. She searched the apartment with wide blue eyes just one more time before reaching for her jacket. "Juvia will go tell Gray-sama what's happened...thank you for having Juvia over, Lucy."

"No problem," Lucy replied. "I doubt Natsu, being the cranky little bastard he is, will be doing too much tonight, so...I'm going to try and get some sleep. Do you two want to have coffee with me tomorrow at lunch? At the cafe? I'll just wear my uniform for there to Gajeel's shop. He won't care."

"Sure," Levy agreed. "Sounds good for me. I better head back to my own place," she mused thoughtfully, popping her back. "I want to finish a book I was reading."

"When are you not?" Lucy teased.

She walked them to the door, bidding them farewell. When the door had been closed and her friends were gone, Lucy slid down to the floor, drawing her knees to her chest and giving a shaky sigh.

There was a gentle tug on her hair and then her shirt, as if Natsu was trying to get her attention, but she ignored it, instead closing her eyes.

Something told her that he wouldn't show his displeasure so quietly the next time he was unhappy.

Lucy just hoped it didn't end up too badly.

* * *

Lucy grinned as she entered the cafe, taking only a few seconds to find Levy. The bookworm had taken the morning off from her job at the library so that she could join their little meeting, and Lucy noted that Juvia hadn't arrived yet.

If everything ended well, Juvia would have brought Gray as well.

Lucy slid into the booth beside her friend, knowing Juvia would want to sit with Gray if he came with her. "Yo," she greeted cheerfully, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Hi, Lucy," Levy greeted warmly. She put her book away, twisting to face her friend. "I take it my begging for Gajeel to let you out early worked then?"

"Yep!" Lucy grinned, amused. If it weren't for Levy, she would have been nearly fifteen minutes late to their little meeting. She huffed out a sigh. "Natsu was being noisy as hell this morning...he kept opening and closing my bedroom door. Thought it was a game when I had to get out of the room."

Levy smiled at the thought. "That does seem like him…" She bit her lip, glancing up with a smile as a glass of water was placed in front of her alongside a plate full of cookies to share. "Thanks, Mira," she said cheerfully to the excited silver-haired woman, who was smiling playfully at them.

"No problem, Levy," Mirajane told her and then turned to Lucy. "Hi, Lucy...want anything to drink?"

"The usual, please," Lucy replied. "I'll take my shift after our little lunch here."

"Good. We're a bit busy today." Mirajane gave a final smile to the blonde and then hurried to get Lucy her tea.

Lucy turned back to Levy with a thoughtful look. "I was thinking...if we can't get enough information out of Gray, we'll have to go talk to some other people. I don't want to ask Erza, though...she got really upset the last time I saw her, when she was looking at the picture."

"Does her fiancé know anything about him?" Lucy shook her head and Levy gave a soft sigh. "That is troublesome...I suppose now would be a good time to tell you...Lisanna knew him." Lucy's gaze snapped up. "Yeah, heard her talking to Erza when she stopped by the library a few weeks ago. Turns out they were childhood friends."

"Why wouldn't you tell me sooner?" Lucy wailed, wanting to shake her friend violently. She decided against it, however, when Mirajane arrived with her tea. She thanked her, and then sipped at it with a huge sigh. "Damn...oh! Hi, Juvia! Hello, Gray!" She waved to the two as they walked in.

Juvia smiled warmly. "Hello, Lucy-chan, Levy-chan. Gray-sama decided to believe Juvia last night."

Gray awkwardly slid into the booth, across from Levy, and Juvia sat beside him. "Yeah, well...you threatened to kick me to the couch if I didn't. And that sucker's uncomfortable." He tugged at the collar of his shirt, dark eyes darting to Lucy's face. "You guys seriously think it's Natsu?"

"Juvia saw him and confirmed that it was your friend, yes," Lucy replied. She took a deep breath, and then rested her elbows on the table. She propped her chin in her open palms. "He doesn't want us looking into what happened for some reason. When I suggested that we wanted to help him move on, he threw a fit."

Gray squinted at her. "So you guys just decided to do it behind his back?"

"Yep," Levy replied cheerfully. "Gajeel's tired of him screwing up the building anyways. So, I'd like to keep him in the happy mood he's been in for the past few days if possible."

"Sting finally came back to work, that's why." Lucy bit her lip in thought. "Anyways...I think Happy may have to go back to hanging out with Pantherlily at the shop...he keeps upsetting him."

"Happy?"

Lucy grinned at Juvia's confusion. "The cat that you were making friends with last night. His name's Happy because _before_ someone decided to go around teasing him, he was so freaking happy it was ridiculous."

"Back to important matters...we need to know exactly what happened the day Natsu disappeared." Levy whipped out the journal she'd written the banishing prayer in, her pen resting lightly on the paper. Her dark eyes were sparkling with eagerness. "After that, we'll go our separate ways and research what we can, then meet up again. Does that work for you guys?"

"Definitely," Lucy agreed. Gray gave a roll of his eyes but nodded, and Juvia smiled gently.

"Good. Okay, you two. You're the ones who knew him." Levy settled back, ready to take notes.

Juvia thoughtfully twirled a piece of hair around her finger as she said firmly, "Natsu was declared missing a few years ago. On the first of July."

Levy scrawled that down, and then glanced up, waiting for more information. Gray nodded slowly, propping his chin on a fist as he muttered, "The matchstick was supposed to meet me at a place we hung out at with a bunch of other freaks. He never showed up. Thought he was just being a jerk like usual, so I didn't think much of it until nobody had seen him a few days later and he hadn't come back to the apartment."

Lucy tapped a finger thoughtfully on the table. "...was there anything important that happened in Magnolia that day?"

"I don't remember if there was or not," Levy mused, "But I'll look into it when I'm bored at work tomorrow."

"Good," Lucy said firmly. "I'll see if anything happened at the apartment building when I'm at Gajeel's shop tomorrow. I'll see if Sting or Rogue know of anything that might have happened, too. I'll try and keep it out of Gajeel's ears, though...he'll be nosy and get annoyed."

"He might actually help us." Levy smirked, looking fairly smug. "I'll make him, don't worry."

"Got it." Lucy leaned back, taking a sip of her tea. "Is there anything else we should know?"

"Yeah, it might not have anything to do with what happened, but…" Gray narrowed his eyes. "Natsu's father, Igneel, disappeared when he was ten years old. Natsu told me that it was on the seventh of July."

"Well isn't that interesting." Lucy's eyes narrowed as she came to a sudden realization. She tugged thoughtfully on a lock of her hair, her lips pressed together. "The day Natsu disappeared...the first of July? That's my birthday."

"That's a very interesting coincidence," Levy agreed with a thoughtful look. She shrugged, making a final note before closing her notebook. "Okay. Let's all see what we can find in the next few days and meet up Sunday evening, okay? Does that work for you two? This place is open until nine, so we could meet at say...seven?"

"Works for me," Lucy replied. She smiled slightly. "It's my day off."

"Good. Now. Shall we enjoy ourselves?"

Juvia beamed as she straightened, her blue eyes glittering. "Gray-sama, can Juvia tell them about the house we looked at…?"

* * *

By the time their meeting was over, Lucy had decided that her small group of friends had grown exponentially since arriving in Magnolia. First Levy, and then Gajeel, Erza, Jellal, Gray, and Erza. And, she supposed, Rogue and Sting counted, too. It was nice to have people who enjoyed spending time with her.

Lucy was thinking over these things as she walked home that evening after work. She'd left her car at the cafe, deciding it was nice enough outside that there wasn't a reason to drive a few blocks home. It wasn't like it wasn't a relatively safe area. And she had pepper spray if someone decided to go after her.

She'd learned after the first time she'd been pick-pocketed to be extra careful.

Her mind filled with thoughts of Natsu suddenly. Natsu was her friend, too. When he wasn't being a cruel jerk that was intent on hurting her. It concerned the young woman that her poltergeist friend had suddenly turned as violent as he had been lately. He didn't hesitate to resort to violence if he didn't get his way.

And while she didn't think he meant to hurt her...it hurt like hell.

Lucy sighed heavily.

Only she would have these problems.

Lucy hummed to herself as she stepped out into the street, lost in thought.

 _Maybe he's angry that he can't leave? Or maybe he's frustrated we're not looking for his missing dad and are worried about him instead?_

A loud blaring sound cut through her focus like a knife, and Lucy's head snapped up. Her eyes went wide as her vision was filled with incredible light.

And then she knew nothing.

* * *

 _Surprise! Hope you enjoyed this lovely chapter. Did I freak you guys out? Hope so. ;) Thanks to reviewers (Maiokoe, ilftnatsu, Shizuka23, NaLu x Buckets, Kinsutenekochan, maalikdb, Guest, CuteKitty264, AHHHHH, Drooblesisafunnyword, and maddy!) and see you next week!_


	8. Chapter 8

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

"Oi! Shorty! Where's Bunny Girl?"

Levy frowned, propping the phone up between her shoulder and her cheek with a confused look. "What are you talking about, Gajeel?" she demanded as she pushed the eggs around on a pan. She'd been making breakfast when her boyfriend had called, and she found herself struggling not to burn them with the distraction.

It didn't help that the flames kept flaring up every now and then, either.

"Damn it, Natsu," she growled under her breath. "Cut it out, or you'll burn the entire building down."

"She didn't show up for her shift this morning," Gajeel huffed irritably. "And we got a rush order, too. I had to put Eucliffe on desk duty, and that just doesn't work when there's a girl doing the ordering."

"I don't know," Levy muttered, huffing when he flames flared up again. "I saw her last night… _are you freaking_ -" She cut off with a frustrated scream when a dishrag that had been nearby caught on fire. She immediately threw it into the sink and turned the water on before screeching, " _Out_ , you jerk!"

The heated presence vanished.

"Sorry. Natsu's being a pain in the ass." Levy scowled and tossed her pan to a different burner, turning the one she'd been using off. "Anyways. I haven't seen Lucy since yesterday. We had coffee at lunch, and then I went to the shop to work my shift. She stayed to work at the cafe."

"Huh." Gajeel grunted, sounding unamused. "Yeah, well, she didn't show up."

"Sorry," Levy apologized, "I'll go check in her apartment and see if she's just too sick or something to call you...she might have overslept, too."

"Whatever. Tell her she has to work an extra shift now, would ya?"

"Yeah. See you later, Gajeel." Levy hung up and shoved her phone into her pocket. She'd noticed the blonde's car wasn't in the parking lot now that she thought about it...maybe Natsu had screwed with her too much and she just hadn't come home?

Levy left her own apartment and made her way over to Lucy's, unlocking the door with a spare key she'd been given. She'd gifted her own to her friend only days after they'd met.

She pushed the door open - and stopped dead in her tracks. "Natsu had some fun in here," she murmured aloud, taking in the large amounts of destruction. The bookshelves in the living room had been knocked over, the TV was flicking on and off alongside the lights, and the couch had been flipped alongside the dining room table that stood upside down on top of it. A chair was attached to the ceiling, and Levy frowned when Happy came scampering over to see her with an anxious mew, purring and rubbing against her ankles.

"Hello, Happy," she muttered, scooping him into her arms. "Where's your owner, hm? I'll call her...you can come eat some fish in my place for now…" She left the apartment again, knowing without a doubt that Lucy wasn't inside.

"I wonder why he destroyed so much," Levy mused. She dropped Happy into her place upon reaching it, kicking the door shut behind her and hanging her keys up. Happy purred and then darted off to find his favorite place in the apartment; he knew where it was after visiting with her several times.

Levy pulled her phone out with a thoughtful look and dialed Lucy's number, putting it up to her ear. But no one answered, and she found herself frowning when it didn't even ring. "Did she turn her phone off…? Hey! Natsu!" She cranked her head back to look at the ceiling suspiciously when the light flickered. "Did Lucy come home last night?"

There were two sharp knocks on her wall that she heard with ease.

"That's not good…" Levy tapped a finger to her lip. "Did you do anything to upset her besides yanking her around the day before?"

Another two knocks.

Levy narrowed her eyes. That wasn't good at all. "Oh. Well...I'm going to go see if I can hunt her down...can you keep an eye out for her here for me? And please don't mess with anything. See if you can help reorganize her apartment or something and leave Happy alone, okay?"

Levy got a single knock this time, and she smiled warmly. Natsu was being well behaved. It was days like this that she enjoyed his presence. It wasn't threatening, and it was nice to have silent company despite his antics.

Levy grabbed her jacket and left the apartment, calling Juvia this time on her phone as she locked the door behind her. They'd all exchanged numbers the night before, when Lucy had made Gray promise to contact her if they found anything at all. Holding up the phone to her ear, Levy twirled her car keys around her finger.

Juvia answered fairly quickly. "Hello?"

"Juvia?" Levy answered, "It's Levy."

"Hello, Levy-chan," Juvia answered immediately, sounding happy to have received a phone call. "What can Juvia do for you? Gray-sama is at work, so Juvia's bored."

"Good, I need some help figuring out where Lucy went." Levy shoved a lock of hair out of her face after unlocking her car, climbing in. "Apparently she didn't come home last night. I have a system for yes and no questions with Natsu and when I asked if she had, he said no. Her car isn't in the parking lot either...could you run to the cafe and check with Mira? I'll go see if Gajeel can help us look, maybe get in contact with Jellal and Erza to see if they know anything...actually, they should be at the cafe right now."

"Juvia will do it." Levy could hear her bustling around as she prepared to leave her home.

"Thanks," Levy said anxiously. "I know I'm probably just over-reacting, but...Lucy's not really good at keeping an eye out for dangerous people, you know? She's very trusting."

"Juvia thought so," Juvia giggled. "She was willing to meet with Gray-sama to give him the picture, even if it was in a public area. Juvia will tell Gray-sama to keep an eye out while he's working, too. She might go past where he works."

"Thanks. Call me if you find anything." Levy ended the phone call, chewing on her lips anxiously.

 _Damn it, Lucy...where are you?_

* * *

Hours later, they still hadn't found Lucy. Gajeel, Sting, and Rogue had all joined in the hunt after shutting down the shop, as had Gray when he'd gotten off of work. Jellal and Erza - after overcoming their surprise at meeting with Gray and Juvia - had joined only an hour or so before.

Levy quivered from where she was seated on a bench beside Gajeel. They'd searched most of Magnolia for the missing blonde - she'd even checked back with Natsu a few times - but they'd gotten nothing.

Gajeel scowled suddenly, red eyes furious. "The fuck is she? Can't have just vanished…any word from that weird stripper?"

Levy's lips twitched into a faint smile. Gajeel hadn't exactly been appreciative of Gray's willingness to assist them. Not that Levy could blame him. Gray had stripped completely naked within seconds of meeting up with them. "No. No news from the others...not even Erza, and she said she'd check with-" Levy cut off, her attention diverted elsewhere.

"With what?" Gajeel gritted out in annoyance. He was in a bad mood after searching with her, but Levy knew it was because he was just a little concerned about their missing friend. He was always angrier when he was anxious about something.

But Levy didn't comment on it, instead jogging away from him in favor of gently catching a girl by the wrist. She looked exhausted and had just come from a building a few blocks away. Her long blue hair had been what caught Levy's attention initially, along with the reporters bustling after her.

One look from Gajeel, and they were rushing the opposite direction.

"Thanks," the girl said with a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of her head. Her dark eyes were underlined with bags, showing that she was exhausted after a long night. "They've been ambushing anyone who comes out."

"No problem. I'm Levy McGarden, this is my boyfriend, Gajeel Redfox." Levy shook the girl's hand, smiling hugely.

"Wendy," she replied. "Wendy Marvell. Is there someone you need to see? I can get you in if you want...it's hard to get in the building without proof of any connections you have to patients. Of course, it might be a bit more difficult with me, as I'm only volunteering, but you know…"

"No, that's alright." Levy glanced curiously at the grumpy looking reporters. "Can I ask why they're here? I don't remember anything big happening recently…"

Wendy blinked at her in surprise. "You mean you didn't hear?" she demanded. "There was an accident last night…a woman stepped into the road, and the person behind the wheel didn't notice until too late. She struck her with her car and the pedestrian's in the ICU...she's not doing so well…" She clapped her hands over her mouth. "I wasn't supposed to say anything!"

"Don't worry, we won't tell anyone," Levy reassured.

Gajeel narrowed his eyes suddenly. "The one who got hit...ya mind tellin' us her name, kid?"

"We don't know," Wendy admitted, biting her lip. "When she was hit, her possessions went all over the place. They found a phone, but it was broken beyond repair, and her wallet was gone. They're searching the area to see if they can find some sort of identification…it takes a while for that fingerprint stuff to come in, you see."

Levy's blood ran cold. "...Wendy-chan," she said slowly. "The woman who was hit. Did she have blonde hair to about here?" She showed how short she meant, and then continued. "Brown eyes? Had a scar here?" Again, she showed Wendy what she meant, touching her temple. "Our friend's missing, and we're worried…"

Wendy's eyes went wide. "That's her, that's the woman who was hit...oh! I'm sorry! That's probably not how you're supposed to-"

Levy staggered, her heart pounding in her chest. Everything went blank for a moment, and she could barely hear Gajeel's muffled voice in her ear, demanding she answer him. It took Levy a few moments to gather herself before she finally managed to get out, "Gajeel? Can you get everyone? I want to...someone's gotta go sit with-"

Gajeel ruffled her hair, his touch gentler than normal. "Yeah. Take your time, shorty. I'll come with ya when I'm done."

Wendy waved for Levy to follow and the two hurried past the reporters that immediately stepped forward, recognizing Wendy. Wendy ignored them, as did Levy. Both of them simply shoved past.

It felt like forever before Wendy had guided Levy up three stories and to a room that was isolated from others. "She's in really rough shape, but...she's still breathing. For now, anyways." Wendy gave a faint smile as she waved for Levy to peek through a window.

Levy's eyes welled with tears. "Poor Lu-chan," she breathed.

She was barely recognizable. She was still bloodied in some spots, particularly her bruised face. Several machines were connected to her, and Levy bit back a whimper as she turned her face away to Wendy. "Is...is there a doctor I can…?"

Wendy gave a gentle smile. "I'll go get Porlyusica-san. Excuse me, Levy-san…" The blue-haired teen rushed away to fetch the mentioned woman, and Levy found herself studying her shaking hands.

How had this _happened_?! Lucy had been fine only a day ago, giggling over the fact that Gray was complaining about Juvia being too clingy and then complaining alongside him about Natsu. And now…

Levy's hands tightened into fists. "Damn it," she whispered, burying her face in her hands.

She couldn't lose her friend. She _couldn't_.

An elbow suddenly rested on her head and Levy didn't bother to look up. "W-Wendy-chan went to, um, get someone," she managed to get out, her voice choked.

Gajeel huffed. "Called the other freaks...they wanted to come, but I told 'em to all go home. Ain't nothin' they can do anyways...want me to pick up the cat later?"

"Y-yeah." Levy swiped quickly at her eyes. "Right, someone w-will have to check in with N-Natsu, too, he'll be furious…but I want to stay with her…"

Gajeel grumbled, but muttered, "I'll do it...gonna get you to help if he throws a fit, though. Fucker ain't my usual customer, ya know?" Levy nodded quietly, wiping at her eyes with a choked laugh. "Don't worry, Levy. Bunny Girl will be fine."

"Not necessarily." They glanced back at the sound of a new voice. The older woman who had spoken was giving them a stern look, her gaze fierce. Wendy stood nervously beside her. "I'm a doctor here, Porlyusica...you two are friends of hers?"

"Yes." Levy crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "Lucy...she doesn't have any living relatives or anything. So if anything needs to be done, you can come to me. I don't think she had anyone written down for those decisions on paper."

Porlyusica gave a curt nod. "Of course. You're aware that she's been in an accident where she was struck by a car? Wendy said she told you."

"Yes." Levy squared her shoulders. "We knew she'd been missing...we were looking for her all day. I don't think we even considered this being something that might have happened."

"According to what the driver of the vehicle told the police," Porlyusica said, looking down at a clipboard she'd brought with her, "Your friend stepped into the road intentionally. Was there any signs of the possibility that she-"

"No," Levy interrupted firmly. She bit her lip. "Lucy was fine. She wasn't planning anything. My boyfriend here, Gajeel, he's the landlord of the apartment building we live in, he can vouch for me. Lucy was having a few issues with her apartment, but other then that, she was fine."

Porlyusica grunted. "I see. In any case, your friend there's barely alive. You'll be lucky if she survives the night. Her back was broken in two places, there was internal bleeding in several places, a collapsed lung, a badly broken arm that will require surgeries to fix. Broken ribs caused most of the internal bleeding. What were' most concerned about, of course, is her head injury."

Wendy, who'd remained quiet alongside the silently listening Gajeel, finally spoke up again. "Her skull was cracked and the swelling was so severe it required emergency surgery early this morning. She should heal there, but…"

"Your friend is in a coma," Porlyusica muttered. "You'll be a bunch of lucky morons if she wakes up. I suggest you start making plans for a funeral."

Porlyusica left after that and Wendy grimaced apologetically. "I'm sorry, she's always like that…"

Levy pressed a hand to her forehead. "It's...it's fine. Is there any paperwork that needs to be signed…?"

"I'll get it." Wendy smiled kindly and left, leaving Levy and Gajeel to stand beside each other in silence.

"Oi," Gajeel muttered, ruffling her hair. "I'm gonna head downstairs to wait for the others 'cause I doubt they'll go home. Don't stay up here for too long, got it?"

"Yes. Thank you Gajeel." She kissed his cheek quickly and then smiled reassuringly as he turned to leave. When he was gone, Levy tried to keep her smile.

It was lost behind the tears that just kept coming.

* * *

"Damn it, this sucks," Sting grumbled to Rogue as he sprinted down the street. His friend was close behind him, both hurrying to get to the hospital. They'd received the call not too long before that Lucy was there after being struck by a car, and while Rogue hid his emotions a bit bitter, they were both worried. Gajeel had ordered them to go home, but they'd decided to go to the hospital to see how Lucy was.

 _Wham!_

Sting went down with a yelp as a young woman he'd crashed into fell over with a small scream of surprise. Rogue came to a stop immediately, concerned for both of them. "Sting?"

"Ouch," Sting muttered, rubbing the back of his blond head and wincing gratefully when he realized the earring he wore hadn't been ripped out of his ear. While he thought it looked great - and most women he'd dated agreed - it wasn't enjoyable to get it caught. His blue eyes turned on the woman he'd ran into apologetically. "Sorry, didn't see -"

She was crying. Her large brown eyes were red, dried tear tracks on her face from what seemed like hours' worth of crying. Her silver hair was a mess, her clothes askew from being knocked down. "S-sorry," she managed to get out in a strangled voice.

"Uh...you okay?" Sting glanced up at Rogue, looking utterly bewildered. Rogue shrugged, just as confused.

"Y-yes." She sniffled, wiping quickly at her eyes to get rid of the tears. She shakily placed her hand in Rogue's as the dark-haired man offered a hand to help her up. Sting hauled himself to his feet, twisting to pop his back and relieve himself of the discomfort. "I'm just...sorry, I'm not watching where I'm going today, I've…"

"You're fine," Sting said hastily, frowning. What could have possibly made her _this_ upset? "I'm Sting. This is Rogue. We're on our way to the hospital...do you need us to call anyone to pick you up maybe?"

She shook her head. "N-no...there's not anyone who c-could; I'm new to Magnolia. I'm...I just arrived l-last night. B-but on my way in…" She burst into tears again, sobbing loudly into her hands. "I didn't mean to!" she sobbed, "I really didn't! She just...she was suddenly th-there and I...I couldn't slam on the b-breaks in time!"

Suspicion filled Sting, but he said nothing just yet. "What's your name?"

"Y-Yukino. Yukino Auguria." She bit her lip, and Sting gave a gentle smile as he carefully continued.

"You're the one who hit a pedestrian with their car, aren't you?" She began to cry harder as she shook her head yes, and Sting exchanged a wary look with Rogue.

"I'll check in with the others," Rogue sighed. "Take her somewhere to get cleaned up, get her something to eat and then come on back. I'll call if there's an update."

"Thanks, Rogue." Sting gave a wave, then smiled gently at the young woman as Rogue took off again, heading for the hospital. "Come on, let's go get ya cleaned up…"

* * *

 _Surprise! Bet you didn't see Yukino coming! And as you can see...I've figured out how to make some NaLu happen! Thanks to all who reviewed (KaUiA, luv it, ckc14, StormWitch19851, PuckSabrinaDaphne, Kinsutenekochan, Guest, CuteKitty264, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, Tanensei no hono, NaLu x Buckets, and uvsns!) as well as those who followed and favorited! Hope you enjoyed and see you next week!_


	9. Chapter 9

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

Levy had been sitting there for close to six hours, her book in her hands. Lucy was still in the ICU and the doctors - or, to be specific, the one who was clearly in charge, Porlyusica - had let her in to sit beside her friend. Several machines were connected to Lucy, and all of the surgeries that could be done for the time being had been done. Levy grimaced in sympathy; Lucy would mourn the loss of her blonde hair when she woke up.

And Levy was beyond certain that she'd wake up. Even if a few days had already passed since the accident, Lucy _would_ get better.

She had to.

Levy chewed on her lip with a sigh. "...ugh," she finally murmured, setting her book aside. She couldn't focus at the moment. Several people had come by to visit, and Levy was certain Lucy would appreciate each and every one of them. Mirajane and Lisanna had come with their brother, Elfman. Sting, Rogue, and Gajeel had been around, of course, as had Erza, Jellal, Gray, and Juvia.

And then there was Yukino Auguria.

Sting had brought her a few days before, introducing her to Levy with care, aware that Levy might not appreciate her presence. And while Levy had been upset at first, she'd quickly grown to like the young woman. Yukino was genuinely worried about Lucy, and had decided to cover the hospital bills in an attempt to help out, even if Lucy's family money could cover the costs.

Levy reached out to gently touch Lucy's hand, smiling gently. "You're a mess, Lu-chan," she told her with a warm smile. "You need to hurry up and get better. Natsu's trying to help you out, too."

And he had. He'd done his damn hardest to pick up her apartment by himself. Of course, he'd only managed to knock a few more things down as he was doing so, but Levy appreciated his effort and had asked Juvia to go over and clean everything up. Gajeel had taken Happy from her since she was rarely home, and Levy was certain that Lucy would appreciate their efforts.

The young woman sighed, pushing a lock of blue hair out of her eyes. She'd taken her headband off hours before, too tired to deal with getting it into a position that wouldn't give her a headache. She knew her hair was a mess, but Levy really could have cared less at the moment.

She just wanted Lucy to wake up.

Levy had settled back and was just beginning to open her book again when several things happened at once.

A loud sound began blaring, and Levy's book tumbled from her fingers in shock, the sound startling her. Almost immediately, several doctors and nurses rushed in, Wendy close behind them. The young volunteer forcefully grabbed Levy by the wrist and hauled her out of the ICU, her eyes nervous.

"Wendy-chan," Levy cried, trying to yank away and go back in. "What's going on!? What's-"

"You can't," Wendy said firmly, her grip tightening into a nearly bruising one. Her eyes were apologetic now as she said, "Lucy-san...she's gone into cardiac arrest it looks like." Levy frowned, opening her mouth to question how Wendy knew such a thing, but Wendy answered before she could speak. "I'm trying to become a doctor, I've researched all kind of things. Anyways, you need to stay out here, okay?"

Levy raised her voice, tears building in her eyes. "L-Lu-chan-"

Wendy reassuringly patted her hand. "Don't worry, Porlyusica-san knows what she's doing, Levy-san. As do the others. Go get something to eat, I'll call for you when everything's calmed down-"

She was interrupted when a shout came.

"Wendy, get in here!" Porlyusica snapped furiously, shouting over the commotion for the volunteer. "Her heart's stopped, I need you to help with the CPR until we can get it started again. You wanted to help, so get in here!"

"Right!" Wendy darted into the room without hesitation, leaving Levy alone. As she tackled the situation alongside the medical personnel, Levy hugged herself, quivering in fear.

 _Come on, Lucy! You can do it!_ she tried to cheer, wishing her friend could hear her.

Porlyusica had told them several times to pull the plug, that there was no point to waiting, but Levy had refused. Now...she wasn't so sure that waiting had been a smart idea. She found herself contemplating hesitantly if saving her this time was a good idea.

 _Maybe...we should let her go? She must be in so much pain…_

"What's going on?"

"Ah!" Levy yelped, jumping in surprise. She looked over to discover a concerned Erza. "Erza…" The tears spilled, and Levy began to sob into her hands, shaking her head wildly. "I don't know, Wendy-chan s-said that she'd...her heart's stopped, they said."

Erza's eyes went wide and then she gave a gentle smile, touching Levy's arm. "I'm sure everything will be alright, Levy...come, let's go sit down and wait for some news. There's nothing we can do for her right now, alright?"

"Right," Levy murmured, sniffling.

Erza led her from the area, glancing over her shoulder with an anxious look. Silently, she prayed that Lucy would be alright.

Wendy glanced back with a look of distress, as if sensing her look. The pair exchanged looks and both were soon wearing a grim expression.

Erza knew it was unlikely.

* * *

 _Darkness._

 _There was darkness everywhere._

 _And pain._

 _There was pain everywhere, too._

 _Noticed neither._

 _Thoughts were fragmented._

 _Shouts._

 _Cries._

 _Screams._

 _Pleading._

 _Whispers._

 _Light._

 _More darkness._

 _Unbelievable pain._

 _Can't do anything._

 _Everything._

 _Nothing._

 _Silence._

* * *

"How's Lucy?"

Rogue glanced up at the sound of Sting's voice, raising an eyebrow as the blond man walked into the shop. He'd dressed strangely again, Rogue noticed with annoyance, but said nothing other than, "Same as usual. Unconscious."

"Shorty said she was breathing on her own," Gajeel grunted as he hauled a heavy piece of work he'd finished recently out of a back room. He peered over the top of it with a piercing gaze. "Took her off the breathing machine. Wounds are lookin' better, but-"

"It's unlikely she'll be waking anytime soon if at all."

"Gah!" Gajeel nearly dropped his work when Jellal spoke, startling him. The blue-haired man looked amused by the action as he folded his arms. "I checked in with Erza a few minutes ago," Jellal reported. "Lucy went into cardiac arrest...her heart's stopped completely. I couldn't get a hold of you, so I thought I'd stop by before going to join her at the hospital."

"Shit," Sting muttered, shaking his head. He pushed a hand through his hair, eyes flashing. "Did they get it restarted?"

Jellal nodded slowly. "Just barely." He glanced at Gajeel. "Erza said Levy-san was a mess...she's been crying since it happened. I'd hurry and get there if I were you. I'll drive you if you want."

"Do Gray and Juvia know?" Rogue questioned, already contemplating what needed to be done for the day if Gajeel decided to leave. And he had if the way he was hurrying to put away his finished piece was to go by. Jellal shook his head, and Rogue told him that he'd deal with that.

"I'll let Yukino know," Sting offered, reaching for his phone. "She wants an update on Lucy every few hours...she's been seriously upset by all of this."

"Look at you, playing hero," Rogue grumbled. He leaned back on the counter in thought. "We don't want to all flock to the hospital. Those two can go. Gray and Juvia can go this afternoon, and the three of us will go this evening."

Gajeel grimaced. "Too bad that little bastard can't go," he uttered to himself. Natsu had been a serious pain in the ass lately. Complaints were constantly coming in about lights not working properly and loud thumping on the walls late in the night. Juvia had gone to tell him to cut it out, but it had only angered him to the point that he nearly burned the entire building down.

Natsu was beyond upset. According to Juvia, he was close to inconsolable. It worried those who knew of the poltergeist - especially Levy, who worried that he felt this was all partially his fault - that he'd turn into a raging monster that couldn't be helped period.

So, Juvia had taken to staying in Levy's apartment, keeping an eye on him when Levy wasn't there. Gray, when he wasn't working, visited, but never stayed.

It had turned out that Natsu hated Gray with a passion, and whenever the young man set foot inside the building, he was attacking at every twist and turn. It had shocked Levy the first time she'd seen the sharp knife coming flying out of the knife block to try and lodge itself in his eye, and Juvia had made the poltergeist promise in a panic that he wouldn't do something like that again.

Of course, he still did it each and every time Gray was in the apartment building, but he'd decided to simply see how close he could get, and often times Gray left with scratches.

But no one - except maybe Gajeel - was truly upset with him over it. They all knew he was worried, frantic to make sure Lucy was okay, and while they kept him updated on the progress, Juvia had told them that Natsu truly regretted not being able to go to the hospital to see her himself.

 _"He's trapped in the building,"_ Juvia had mused after that. _"He can't leave. Something's keeping him there, in the building, and Juvia will figure out what it is."_

"I really shouldn't have gotten caught up in all of this," Gajeel grumbled.

Then again...if he hadn't, he wouldn't be able to protect Levy from anything that went wrong. Not that he could protect her from the pain she was clearly feeling now. But he could be there to help her when she needed him, and that was something he was content with.

"Let's go," the grumpy man uttered, crossing his arms. "Levy needs to go home, anyways...she needs to shower and get some sleep. She hasn't slept in days...fucking crazy book woman."

Jellal only shook his head in amusement. "Then let's get going...I leave it up to you two to inform the others."

And then, without further ado, the pair left, intent on going to the hospital.

* * *

 _Pain, pain, pain._

 _Darkness, darkness, darkness._

 _Neverending._

 _Repeating._

 _Constant._

 _Light?_

 _Warmth?_

 _No…_

 _More._

 _Wanting._

 _Apologizing._

 _Helping._

 _Nothing._

 _Weakness._

 _Strength._

 _Different light._

 _Gentle._

 _Voices._

 _Touch._

 _Silence._

* * *

"Any change?"

Erza smiled faintly at the sound of Jellal's voice, glancing up as he rested a hand lightly on her shoulder, peering over her shoulder at the unconscious woman in the hospital bed. "No," the usually fierce scarlet-haired woman murmured. "Nothing quite yet, Jellal…I am certain Lucy will wake up soon. No matter what that woman says."

Porlyusica had come by again earlier in the day, after Levy had left. She'd told them the basis of what had happened and just how bad things were. She'd told them that while they loved the blonde, it was more than likely time for them to consider letting her go.

Erza had been the one to state that unless Lucy stopped breathing on her own, there was no way in _hell_ they'd pull the chord.

Porlyusica had sneered, told them they were only prolonging Lucy's suffering, and moved on to other patients.

Wendy had come in to apologize and tell them that the doctor was only being so angry because she'd lost a patient earlier in the morning, when everyone had been asleep.

Erza lifted a hand to rest over Jellal's, squeezing it thoughtfully. "I'm sure Lucy will wake up," she repeated, though her voice was mournful. She hadn't known Lucy long, but she was fond of her cheerful attitude towards everything.

Lucy was a good friend of her's, even if they hadn't been friends for as long as they could have been. And she really hoped that nothing went wrong.

So far, there was a possibility that Lucy would make it and Erza was determined to make sure she did. Jellal lightly squeezed her shoulder in response to her words, offering silent comfort that Erza gratefully accepted. "Why don't you come home, Erza? You need rest, too...I'll call for someone else to come and sit with her. Juvia might be willing to."

The scarlet-haired woman shook her head thoughtfully, still unable to believe that they'd come across Gray and Juvia in such a strange way after so long. "I'll call her. Don't worry about it. I'll meet you in the car, Jellal."

He sighed softly. "Don't take too long, or I'll come back and force you downstairs, is that clear?"

Erza only laughed softly and smiled reassuringly at him. "Whatever you say."

Jellal left after that and Erza climbed to her feet, texting Juvia quickly to inform her that she needed to go home and that she hoped Juvia would be able to come and sit with Lucy. Juvia answered almost immediately that she was on her way.

Erza sighed softly as she placed a hand over the unconscious Lucy's. She studied Lucy for a moment, and then turned to leave, stepping out of the room without hesitation. She'd be back in the morning, more than likely accompanied by either Levy or Jellal. Lucy wouldn't go anywhere throughout the night.

She didn't cast a backwards glance, completely unaware of the furrowing of Lucy's brow.

* * *

It was like she was dragging herself out of a ton of thick mud that threatened to suck her back down into its clutches. She wanted to open her eyes, but she couldn't force them open, to tired to even try. She could hear things occasionally, but it was usually muffled, and she couldn't comprehend what they were saying.

It seemed like forever before she was finally able to realize that something strange was going on. When she did realize it, she realized, at the same time, that there was pain she couldn't even begin to think past. She wanted to scream and cry at the agonizing pain in her body, but couldn't.

She could only lick her lips and furrow her brow, her movement lethargic as she tried to figure out why it hurt.

Finally, Lucy pried her eyes open.

She squeezed them shut against the bright lights of the room she was in, and then blinked blearily, slowly setting to work on figuring out where she was. She was slightly disorientated, unable to come up with a simple thought that wasn't jumbled, but Lucy eventually came to the conclusion that she certainly wasn't at home in her apartment.

Her throat hurt badly, she noted when she tried to mumble a name, and she couldn't speak.

Lucy supposed it was the tubes down her throat.

She gagged slightly at the thought before groaning in pain and closing her eyes again. She just wanted to sleep some more...but, she realized, that would be impossible, especially as her head began to ache and pound in an agonizing rhythm that threatened to drive her mental.

Muffled sounds filled her mind, making the pain worse, and she whimpered softly around whatever someone had pushed down her throat.

A cry of surprise filled her mind, and she fought the urge to shriek in pain. It _hurt_ , like someone had driven a hammer through her brain! But that wasn't noticed as the noise increased.

Suddenly, a familiar blue-haired head had leaned over into her vision. Wide blue eyes stared down at her with concern in their depths. Her lips mouthed words, but Lucy was in too much pain to properly hear them.

She just wanted to sink back into the darkness that threatened to drag her down into oblivion, but the pain wouldn't let her.

Almost moments later, several people were there. She could hear them repeating something, but the young woman couldn't come up with what they were asking, so she merely closed her eyes with a soft groan of pain. She wanted it to go _away_.

She remembered a few things from that darkness that she so longingly thought of. Voices, urging her to join them. Coaxing touches, encouraging her that it was time though never telling her what it was time for.

Warmth, making her contemplate the idea of simply giving in and going away.

One thought had put a stop to all of it.

 _Natsu_.

She would have thought he'd be all over her, pestering her to do something with him. She couldn't go with those voices and touches. Not yet. She wanted to help him first.

Then?

She could go away if that's what they thought best.

But until then, Lucy Heartfilia was determined to save her friend.

Even if it meant sinking back into a grateful painless sleep.

* * *

 _Lucy woke up for a little bit! Yay! Thank you to all reviewers (ilftnatsu, luv it, uvsns, maalikdb, CuteKitty264, Guest, StormWitch19851, MagicalUnicorn03, Kinsutenekochan, sabi2000, and NaLu x Buckets!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	10. Chapter 10

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

The second time Lucy awoke, she was in a bit less pain. She supposed it was the medication that was being forced into her body via IV, but she really didn't care. As long as the pain wasn't too bad, she was fine with it.

She was able to think a bit more clearly than the last time. So she was able to notice right away that she was alone in a room and that something was off with her hair. Or the lack of it, she supposed with a twinge of sadness. She was upset, really upset, over it, actually. Her long golden hair was something she'd always been proud of in regards to her appearance.

It had been like her mother's.

Not that she was complaining; she was alive, wasn't she?

Lucy was stumped. She remembered things, of course, she'd made sure of that the second she woke up. Her name was Lucy Heartfilia, she'd once been wealthy and was still rich if one was being technical, and she had a crazy poltergeist that lived in the building she and Levy McGarden occupied, a building owned by said woman's boyfriend, Gajeel Redfox, who she also worked for part-time.

But she didn't remember how she'd ended up in the hospital, or why there was so many machines around her. She didn't understand why her arm was in a cast, her fingers bruised black and blue. She didn't get why her chest hurt with every breath she took, or why it nearly killed her to wiggle her toes.

Her head hurt, too.

Her dark eyes watched with care, rolling to see what was happening every time she heard someone pass the door until finally, it opened, and in strolled a pair of people she recognized.

Erza and Gray.

Her brow drew down carefully and she decided to stay quiet for a moment, too tired to really try speaking anyways.

They were bickering about something that made her lips twitch painfully into a smile that pulled painfully at her injured flesh. Apparently, Erza wasn't pleased that Gray had failed to keep in contact with her after Natsu's disappearance. Gray only shrugged, responding that it wasn't entirely his fault. Contact went both ways after all.

And then dark eyes landed on her face.

"Lucy!" Gray said, clearly surprised. He stumbled forward as Erza whipped around and accidentally slammed into his shoulder in her eagerness. "Juvia said you woke up for a bit, but that was _days_ ago! Glad to see you're up and...lookin'."

Erza hit his shoulder and he cringed in pain, muttering about bruises as he rubbed it. "Lucy," she scolded, "You scared the daylights out of all of us. Juvia's been fretting, Levy's been crying, and the rest of us were worried sick!"

Lucy snorted softly, then groaned softly when it shook her sore body.

Like _she_ knew.

"Oh!" Erza gasped, looking horrified, "You must be hurting! I'll go get Porlyusica-san and Wendy-chan, they'll be very happy to hear you're awake." Her gaze darkened. "Porlyusica-san didn't think you would…"

She left the room without another word and Lucy tiredly glanced at Gray, who gently patted her hand in an awkward way. "Sorry," he muttered. "Dunno what to do in hospitals and it's not like we know each other well to begin with."

Lucy snorted again, and then cringed as the pain ripped through her. So the medication wasn't working _entirely_ , but it helped. She simply twitched her fingers in response, exhausted after simply that.

It wasn't long before Erza was back with the doctor, and Lucy listened exhaustedly to the snide comments that the woman made as she checked over the young blonde. Erza and Gray gave her sympathetic looks alongside a teen Lucy didn't know. She was beginning to grow tired again when Porlyusica suddenly stopped and said firmly, "You're not completely out of danger yet, but you've managed to impress even me. Fight as hard as you can and you _might_ walk out of this hospital in the next few months."

As she left, the teenager's face seemed to glow with excitement. "She likes you," she praised happily. "She doesn't usually say things like that!"

"I'd say," Gray grumbled. "She hates the rest of us."

Happy the tubes had been removed from her throat for the time being, Lucy croaked, "Happy?" They blinked in confusion, but it was the girl who beamed and answered.

"Your cat is safe," she promised. "I heard Levy-san and Gajeel-san mention him. I believe Gajeel-san has him at the moment."

Lucy sighed very, very carefully in relief before adding in with caution, too tired to really care if Erza knew by this point, "Natsu?"

Erza stared hard at her face as Gray rolled his eyes with a grin and answered her unsaid question. "Bastard's made a mess out of your place. Levy and Juvia have been picking it up every now and then. He'll be grateful to know you're awake. He's been as worried as the rest of us."

"Did you just...Natsu?" Erza demanded. "Natsu's back?"

Gray's eyes flashed with an emotion that neither woman could place. "I'll explain later, Erza. Trust me, it's not exactly a pleasant story, and if you want to go see him, I need face protection. Sucker threw a knife at me."

Lucy grunted to show her amusement. "How long?" She glanced around with her eyes to show what she meant. _How long have I been here?_

"You've been unconscious for close to a month," the girl reported honestly. "You're very lucky to have survived." She listed the several injuries that Lucy had been given before pausing. "Oh! I'm Wendy Marvell by the way."

Lucy wheezed out a painful laugh that had her groaning in agony. "Hi."

"You should get some rest," Erza scolded her after that, moving over to gently rest a hand over Lucy's head. "You don't want to catch some infection, they just did some surgery on your arm this morning...we'll let everyone else know that you woke up."

"You've had quite the company," Wendy giggled when she frowned in confusion, ignoring the pain.

Gray began ticking the names off, using his fingers to count. "Me, Erza, Juvia, Jellal, Levy, Gajeel, Sting, Rogue, and some girl that Sting's getting kinda attached to are here most of the time. The Strauss siblings and their little relationship people have come in to visit, too."

"Yukino," Erza corrected, "But we'll tell you about her when you're feeling _much_ better."

"Yeah," Gray agreed hastily after she glared his way. "What she said."

Wendy grinned, shaking her head. "Excuse me, Erza-san, Lucy-san, Gran-san. I have some other people to check on…" She whisked out of the room, throwing a huge smile over her shoulder.

"Wendy's a sweet girl," Erza told the curious blonde. "You'll like her."

Lucy was absolutely positive that she would.

* * *

The days ticked by and within two weeks, Lucy was capable of proper conversations again and staying awake for more than minutes at a time. While she still ached and hurt all over, too sore to move, she was told that she was healing nicely and bed rest would keep her on that road.

Still. Close to two months more in the hospital if Wendy was correct. And that was enough time to drive anyone nuts.

Juvia giggled from where she was sitting beside Lucy, a discarded book beside them. Levy had left to work, and the two had decided to continue reading. Since Lucy couldn't hold the book up, Juvia had read it aloud, and eventually, they'd put it aside to discuss a subject that made Lucy far more curious.

Natsu.

"Natsu is impatient," Juvia was telling her with a giggle. "Juvia talked to him, and he said that he was ready for you to get out and go home. He said he was bored."

Lucy's lips twitched into a smile that didn't hurt as much as it had before. "Is he? Good...it's kind of lonely, without someone constantly keeping an eye on my safety. Excluding security cameras, but that's just creepy."

"Only you would think that's creepier than someone watching over you," Gray uttered from where he was suddenly standing in the doorway. Catching Lucy's eye, he winked and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Sting's here. Brought Yukino to talk to you. They're gonna stay and chat; Juvia, we're out to the store. I'm hungry and you need to cook, don't you?"

Lucy's eyes flashed with a wary curiosity. In the time since she'd been healing while allowed to be awake, she had yet to meet Yukino. She knew that there was something that the others were hiding - they left to discuss something whenever her name was brought up - and she couldn't believe that she was finally awake when the young woman was there. "I'll see you two later then...go ahead and send them in."

There was a few minutes between Gray and Juvia leaving and the other two coming in; Lucy could hear quiet talking just seconds before Sting stepped inside, a huge grin on his face. "Bout damn time you woke up to see me!"

Lucy giggled painfully, wincing. "You're the one who showed up at the wrong time," she told him breathlessly, grimacing in pain.

His smile lessened for a moment. "True," he said after making sure she wouldn't need him to run and get someone. "Anyways, got someone who wants to meet you if that's alright."

"Yukino, right? The others have mentioned her every now and then. Bring her in." Lucy subconsciously reached up with her good arm to touch an un-stitched portion of her head, frowning. It hurt her that her hair was gone. She preferred to look somewhat decent when meeting new people. "I'd like to meet her."

Sting hesitated. He took a moment to study her, then said carefully, "Could you be...careful? She's been worried about you. She wants to tell you something, and she's worried that you'll hate her for it."

A suspicious feeling entered Lucy's mind, but she pushed it away. "Of course. I doubt I'll hate her no matter what she says. Now bring her in so I can stop being scared. You're worrying me and according to Wendy, stress isn't good."

"Okay, okay." Her fellow blond gave a final grin and then peeked his head out. She heard him demand Yukino come inside, and then stepped away so she could do just that. Lucy's eyes softened at the way his gaze followed her.

Lucy liked to think she was a good judge of character, and she knew immediately from the look on the tearful woman's face that Yukino was truly a decent person who must have gotten caught up in something. The woman bowed several times as she cried, "Lucy-san, I'm so sorry! I truly am!"

"I...what?" Lucy blinked, horrified when Yukino burst into sobs, burying her face in her hands. "What's going on? Sting?"

Sting opened his mouth but Yukino cut him off, sniffling as she choked out, "I'm so, _so_ sorry, Lucy-san! I didn't mean to...so sorry…" She took a deep breath and Sting, rolling his eyes with an affectionate look towards her, decided to clarify for her.

"Yukino," he said gently, nudging her with his shoulder, "Was the driver of the car that struck you."

" _Oh_ ," Lucy gasped, startled by this announcement. Well that explained a lot right there… "Um, Yukino-san, it's alright, I'm not angry or anything. I don't blame you. I actually…" She flushed. "I actually didn't know I'd been hit by a car. I guess everyone assumed I remembered? The last thing I remember was leaving my shift at the cafe…"

She sniffed a few times as she lifted teary expressive brown eyes to look at Lucy. "I'm sorry," she repeated miserably. "You nearly _died_ because of me...I've already started paying for hospital costs, and I've taken over your working hours to make up for it as well! Juvia-san took the paychecks to your apartment, and sh-she says someone by the name of N-Natsu agreed not to touch them until you went home."

Lucy's heart swelled with gratitude for such a thing. "Oh, Yukino-san, that's...you don't have to do that. I have money, it's just money I don't want to use unless necessary-"

"We tried to tell her," Sting reported, "She wouldn't stop."

Yukino gave a soft hiccup as she sniffled. "I just...I wanted to make it up to you. I know you must be in incredible pain, and I-"

"Yeah, it hurts, but it's fine." Lucy forced herself to shrug. "I'm alive is all that it means. I'll tell you what. You can make it up to me in one way and one way only." She took on her most severe expression and Sting grimaced in preparation. Yukino's eyes went wide. "And that one way is for you to join my little rag tag group of friends. How does that sound?"

Yukino's lips parted in shock for a moment before she gave a shaky smile. "Okay. I'll be a friend, Lucy-san. But please...do you want something to eat?"

"If you could get me something other than hospital food, I'll worship the ground you walk on," Lucy told her seriously, though the effect was ruined when she giggled painfully. It hurt, she realized. She'd need to delve back into the unconscious world for some time to take a break.

"Done," Yukino laughed, waving before hurrying out of the room.

"Thanks, Lucy," Sting sighed, puffing his cheeks out for a moment. "Means the world that you're being kind. She's been visiting you constantly in hope that you'd wake up."

"It's not her fault," Lucy said with a shrug. "It's mine, so why would I blame her? I'm the one who didn't watch for cars apparently." She flashed him a quick smile. "So don't worry. Besides, I like Yukino. And so do you?" She wiggled her eyebrows playfully. "Getting kind of close there, were you?"

Sting's cheeks tinted pink and Lucy grinned triumphantly. "Shut up," he muttered. "S'not like that."

Lucy gave a mock gasp of shock. "Oh? You're _not_ flirting with her every chance you get? Throw some fireworks out there, guys, Sting Eucliffe's not trying pickup lines!" She gave a playful cackle before gritting her teeth. "Ouch, okay, no more laughing for a while."

Grateful to have a change of subject, Sting scolded, "Stop laughing, Lucy, you'll mess yourself up."

She winked. "Already done. Next suggestion?"

The bickering continued even after Yukino had come back and until Lucy was too sore to continue. At that point, they bid her farewell, and Lucy smiled before closing her eyes, wishing she could curl up on her side as she fell asleep.

* * *

It was lonely in the empty apartment.

Incredibly lonely.

There was no one to screw with. No one to tease. No one to upset and piss off. Just silence, silence, and more silence.

And it pissed the being that dwelled in the building that housed the empty apartment off beyond belief. Anger swelled throughout the building, there was no way to describe it as anything else. Anyone it touched became as angry as the one causing it, and tensions ran high among those that lived there. Yet no one understood the sudden rage that would flash through their veins.

The anger was accompanied by heat, of course, but also by the stabbing agony of fear.

Had she been scared off?

No. She couldn't have been. She always came back.

They'd told him of what happened; she'd been struck by a car. She'd been near death in a hospital for close to two months. Two lonely long months without her. The anger surged at the thought into a deadly rage before residing for the time being. The book woman's apartment had already been destroyed by rage that night, and it wasn't necessary to destroy more for the time being.

Especially not her apartment.

If she was truly hurt, there was no wish to cause her more pain by making her and her friends clean up. There was no intention of causing her harm no matter how much anger was taken out on her.

She'd only started out as a source of entertainment. Someone to tease, mess with. She'd become more over the time she'd lived there, though. A friend. More. _More_.

Rage and fury crossed through again, threatening to swallow them all whole.

Nothing was really remembered of life. All that was remembered was that of the life that was lived now. Well...it wasn't really life. Endless wandering and screwing around was more what it was. It was _endless_. Lonely. Horrid. Something that brought a terrified and angry feeling.

With her there...it was easier. Not as harsh. She brought light, happiness, laughter to a world that had been dark for years. More. She brought _more_.

Such feelings weren't felt before. Not before. Now, things were different. Things were so different, it was beyond ridiculous. So much that hadn't been wanted was wanted. _Warmth_. And she was warmth incarnate, with her huge smiles and sparkling eyes.

What if she didn't come back?

What if they'd lied?

What if she was dead, too?

A dangerous darkness spread through at that idea. If she was dead, mercy was wished upon the souls that dwelled within the domain of what could have been and what could still be.

Because they'd all go, too, even the book woman.

The building would be torn to bits with everyone still inside.

 _Mine._

 _More._

 _Warmth._

All things that hadn't been cared for until she'd come.

And now…

Something that Natsu Dragneel, the poltergeist of Lucy Heartfilia's apartment, couldn't live without.

* * *

 _So that turned real dark at the end, did it not? ;) Thanks to reviewers (luv it, kat5552, Braveartemisknight, CuteKitty264, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, NaLu x Buckets, ilftnatsu, MehKitty, Kinsutenekochan, cantorahagedoorn, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, and the lovely guests!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	11. Chapter 11

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

"I can't believe this!"

Lucy looked up from the book she'd been reading as Levy exploded into the hospital room she'd been living in for the past month with a dark look on her face. Sighing at the sight of an equally as cranky Gajeel behind her, Lucy put her book aside and expectantly raised her gaze. "What happened this time?" she sighed, already knowing who was the cause of Levy's rage.

"He did it again," Levy seethed. "Natsu tore my apartment apart, Lucy! That's the tenth time this week!" Tears appeared in her hazel eyes, desperation flooding her. "I can't do this anymore, Lu-chan, I really can't!"

Lucy sighed, shaking her head. "I can't exactly leave yet," she said with an apologetic look. "I mean, I know he's frustrated about not being able to leave, but...has Juvia talked with him again?"

"Yesterday, and he's pissed," Gajeel grunted. Lucy's lips twitched into a smile. The dark-haired man was fond of Juvia, amused with her devotion towards Gray. "Said the fucker is threatening to do more than what he's doing if you don't get your ass home soon."

Lucy couldn't help the giggle before she apologized, "I'm sorry, Levy-chan! I really want to leave, but…" She waved at herself with a frustrated look. "I can't yet." _At least my hair is starting to grow back…_

Levy's breath gusted out in a huge whoosh. "We know, we know...it's just...everything's getting really bad in the building. Everyone's been so aggressive, and we think it's because of him. Three apartments have been emptied, I get complaints all the time about the noise he makes from mine, and-" She winced as she tenderly poked her own head. "He's been yanking my hair when I don't pay attention to him. Thank the heavens Gajeel lives in a separate place, or I'd never sleep."

Lucy arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you living together now?"

Levy flushed, and Lucy smirked in relief at the change of subject. "N-no, that's...Gajeel!" she yelped when he suddenly used her as someone to rest his elbow on. He snickered with a gleam in his red eyes.

"Every now and then. Won't tell ya what we do, Bunny Girl."

"Okay, ew," Lucy muttered, making a face. "Did _not_ need to know that, Gajeel. Look." She scrubbed a hand down her face before giving a wry smile. She was glad the bruises were nearly gone. "I'm trying to see how long until I can be released. I'll have to be in a wheelchair until my back heals - I'm lucky I'm not paralyzed. But my ribs are almost good, my arm's on the mend, and...yeah. I'm getting there. Okay? I have a while before I get out, though, so just...try to hold him off for me? Tell him that I miss him or something, see if that helps."

"Lucy," Levy said carefully. "Listen to me. I know that you care greatly for Natsu, but...maybe it's time we try to get him exorcised-"

"No," Lucy bit out angrily. "Don't you dare. He's fine, he's just angry that I'm not there."

"He was hurting you, too," Levy said quietly. "It's only getting worse, and you know it."

Lucy's hands trembled with rage at the thought. " _No_."

"Lu-chan-"

"If you do anything to Natsu," Lucy spat, her dark eyes glaring furiously at her friend. "I won't ever forgive you, Levy. You, too, Gajeel. Don't you dare try anything. I _will_ take care of the problem when I get out of here, do you hear me? He's just...lonely. Sure, he hurt me, but he never meant to, okay? Have you even tried to keep him company?"

Levy pressed her lips together, searching Lucy's eyes before shaking her head and turning away. "Lu-chan...he's not going to get better. He's just going to get worse and there's going to be a day that you regret not doing anything about it."

For the first time since meeting Levy, Lucy found herself truly upset and angry with the blue-haired bookworm. "Maybe not," she said hotly, her breath hitching painfully in her chest and resulting in a cough that had pain racing through her chest. She hissed in pain. "But I'm going to help him. He's my friend."

Levy snorted. "He's going to kill you eventually, Lucy. And I don't want to just stand around until that happens."

Without another word, she stalked out of the hospital room, and Lucy scowled nervously after her, worried that she'd go back and do something to her currently angry poltergeist friend. Another cough left her lips, and she winced.

Gajeel huffed. "Oi, Bunny Girl. Calm yerself, or you're gonna make it worse and stay here longer."

Lucy shot him a glare in response. "Don't touch Natsu, and maybe I wouldn't have to get like this," she retorted furiously.

"Ain't nobody touchin' that fucker," Gajeel sighed in exasperation. Crimson eyes glanced towards the doorway. "'Sides, that kinda thing requires my permission. While I hate the bastard for fuckin' up my building, s'not my decision to make. S'up to you what happens to him."

Lucy blinked and then relaxed, giving a hesitant smile. "Thanks, Gajeel. Now go find her and tell her she's right and whatnot, or she's going to blow a gasket." Lucy grumbled. "I need a nap after that…"

* * *

It was a while before Lucy saw Levy again. Clearly, she was too angry to even think of coming back to talk, and while Lucy knew she was just worried, it drove the blonde crazy. Natsu wasn't intentionally like he was. It wasn't his fault he was beginning to get more destructive in his violence.

It was the day that Lucy was finally allowed to wheel herself out of the hospital with Juvia's help that she finally got to go home. Everyone that had come to visit was just as excited as she was about the whole matter.

Juvia lightly chattered with the blonde as she carefully drove her home, saying that Levy had agreed to check on her between shifts, and Lucy had grumbled before shrugging. She wouldn't be doing much besides sitting on the floor in front of the TV. And she supposed Levy might be in a better mood if Natsu decided to stop being an ass.

"Natsu is excited," Juvia suddenly mused, glancing at Lucy out of the corner of her eye to see the blonde's reaction. Lucy's lips merely curved into a smile. "Juvia told him last night that you were coming home and Juvia thought he was going to tear the building down when he started running around. He was still fairly upset though. Juvia thinks it'll be a while before the anger clears up completely."

Lucy nodded slowly in thought, wincing as she was jarred by a bump. "Got it. I'll be home a lot. Maybe I can keep him entertained. Can ghosts play Monopoly, Juvia?"

Juvia burst into giggles, flicking on her blinker and turning into the parking lot of their apartment. "If it's Natsu...maybe! That reminds Juvia." She glanced at Lucy. "We weren't able to find anything on Natsu's death."

Lucy sighed but accepted that without so much as batting an eye. "Alright. I'll see what I can find. Who knows, maybe I can further my writing since I have so much time. I'd be fun to write a book on all of this when it's good and done."

"Juvia thinks it would sell and Juvia would make Gray-sama buy it," the young woman promised before pulling into a parking space and shutting the car off. She hauled herself out of it before setting to work on getting Lucy out as well. "Careful, Lucy," Juvia warned as the blonde slowly but surely shifted from the car and to the wheelchair that Juvia had pulled out for her.

It took a few minutes of hard work before Lucy had been successfully removed from the car and she took a few minutes to let the pain fade before musing with a hoarse voice, "Okay, so that hurt like hell."

"Sorry," Juvia apologized. "Juvia tried to be careful."

"I know," Lucy reassured before looking up at the building with thoughtful eyes. "...huh," she muttered, shivering. She could feel something in the air, she realized, frowning in utter confusion. It pierced at her, threatening to drag her down with it and pull her into some kind of unending darkness full of anger and grief and doubt. "That's…"

"Natsu." Juvia gave a wry smile as she began to push Lucy towards the building. "That's Natsu, Lucy. He's gotten...he's ridiculously upset at the moment, Juvia thinks." She paused when the air suddenly seemed to shift, the aura darkening further before lightening just barely as they entered the apartment complex. "Natsu knows you're home."

"Home," Lucy whispered excitedly, her lips spreading into a grin. It was nice to be home. Really nice. She'd missed the building, with its familiarity and comfort. Another resident paused to greet her on his way out, and several others did as well as the pair made their way towards the elevator that would get them to where they needed to go.

As they reached the top, Juvia pushed Lucy out of the elevator and Lucy's heart swelled with excitement upon craning her head with care to look down the hall at her own apartment.

Juvia giggled as Lucy eagerly grabbed her keys from her jacket pocket. "Juvia will push you to your apartment and then go back to get your - oh! Levy-san!"

The small woman had appeared, exiting her apartment with a suspicious look on her face. She paused, hesitant when she saw the pair of them, but then seemed to shake off her wariness and marched her way over. "Hi, Juvia...Lucy. I didn't know you were coming home today."

Lucy cringed at the lack of affectionate honorific and decided that it was as good a time as any to apologize for her attitude. Giving a faint smile, she said, "Well, you haven't exactly stopped by in a while. Gajeel said you were busy."

She shrugged. "Work. Some more people asking for orders at Gajeel's place and then the library's gotten new books in recently."

"For a month and a half?" Lucy muttered, frowning to herself, slightly hurt. Honestly, Lucy knew that it had been a first for the two of them. They'd never fought, and never over Natsu, as Levy was as curious as she was. But… "Anyways, I wanted to apologize." She forced herself to offer a smile. "I didn't mean to get as defensive as I did about the matter, and it was wrong of me to not take what you might have been feeling and thinking into consideration."

Levy paused in surprise, having been prepared to keep on going towards the stairs that she usually took. She blinked once, and then twice before hesitantly responding, her cheeks flushing. "Yes, well...I suppose I _might_ have overreacted about the matter. I know _someone_ ," she glared at the ceiling above their head, and Lucy shifted uncomfortably when there was a sudden change in the air again. "Was just freaking out about it all...so I suppose I should apologize as well."

Lucy beamed, relieved. "I'm glad. Apology accepted."

"Same goes here," Levy giggled.

Juvia smiled happily before explaining, "Spirits affect the space around them. Juvia believes you were merely dealing with a backlash of anger from Natsu."

Lucy curiously tilted her head as the air around them seemed to churn the second his name left the young blue-haired woman's lips. "...is _that_ what I'm feeling?" she questioned with a look of utter astonishment. "I mean, I knew I was feeling funny, but I thought it was just the pains meds."

There was a moment of startled silence as both Levy and Juvia stared at the blonde in the wheelchair for a few moments. And then Levy asked with careful words and wide eyes, "You...are feeling what's...Juvia? What is that about?"

Juvia studied Lucy's face for a moment with a knowing look that gave Lucy a feeling of discomfort before shaking her head. She turned to Levy with a thoughtful look. "Do you want to help Juvia go get Lucy's things? Juvia left them in the car because Juvia was too busy helping Lucy...we could get some take out to eat as well since Lucy's only had hospital food for a while."

Suspicious, Lucy snatched at Juvia's arm. "Juvia," she snapped, "What are you not-"

Levy shook her head, blue hair tumbling around her cheeks. "Nah, Gajeel's going to cook. Why don't we go pick him up from the shop? We can grab Sting, Rogue, and Yukino-chan, too!" The small pixie-like girl beamed. "In fact, why don't we throw a welcome home party? You go pick up some supplies, I'll call everyone and invite them. I know no one has anything to do tonight."

"Gray-sama will be Juvia's duty," Juvia decided, "It will be hard to get Gray-sama here; he doesn't like coming over anymore."

"Juvia-"

"Gajeel could bring Happy home, too!" Levy decided with a huge smile, beaming at the thought. "He says Happy's been feeling kind of depressed lately and stopped eating a few days ago."

That effectively distracted the young woman. "Happy?" she demanded, not noticing the rush of relieved sighs that left her pair of friends. "What's wrong with Happy? Damn it, Levy, what happened to my freaking cat?"

"He's just upset, we think, he probably misses you," Levy soothed, patting Lucy's shoulder with care. "Why don't you go get some rest, Lucy? We'll be back to help you out with anything and set up your welcome back party, okay? Just...relax. You need a lot more rest if you want to get up and walk anytime soon."

"I'm not going to be walking around anytime soon," Lucy muttered in protest, though she did agree. A nap and her next dose of medication sounded like a great idea. Her back and other injuries were beginning to throb. "...you guys will come back for sure?"

"Of course!" Juvia cried, throwing her hands up. "We want to have a welcome back party, Lucy! Juvia swears that Gray-sama will be forced to attend."

"Let's see...we'll invite Gajeel, Sting, Rogue, Yukino-chan," Levy began, ticking each person off on a finger, "Myself, Juvia, Gray, Happy, Erza-chan, Jellal-san...oh! Wendy-chan!"

"Wendy-chan," Juvia agreed, "Would love to come! We can tell Mira-san and Lisanna-san to come, too, I bet Mira-san would make a really yummy cake for the party!"

Tired of the party talk, Lucy waved them off. "You guys go enjoy your party planning. When exactly are we having this party so I can be ready?"

"Tonight," Juvia told her without room for argument.

"Tonight is lovely," Levy agreed with a bright smile. "But we'll have to hurry if we want to have it then. We'll set up in my apartment so Lucy can sleep and enjoy some peace until it's time, sound good? What time?"

"Nothing past ten," Lucy pleaded, already feeling pity for the neighbors.

"Then five o'clock it is," Juvia decided with a hum. "Go and get some rest, Lucy, Juvia will come help you get ready when it's time for the party, kay?"

"...sure," Lucy sighed, shaking her head. She bid her two friends farewell, completely and utterly amused by their attempt to throw a party. It would probably result in a drunken adventure with her as the only sober one, unable to drink due to her medicine.

She carefully wheeled herself down the hall, ignoring the throbbing of her injured arm as she came to a halt beside her apartment door. She momentarily took a moment to dig out her keys, sweat dotting her forehead at the sweltering heat that had surrounded her. Suspicious that Natsu was nearby, she unlocked the door and tapped it open before rolling inside.

Lucy's lips twitched.

It was so clean, it was ridiculous, but she appreciated Juvia's efforts, knowing that the young woman had been put in charge of cleaning it alongside Levy and Erza. Tears suddenly welled in her eyes, and she found herself grinning at the fact that she was _home_.

Deciding it was time, Lucy shoved the door shut, and then wheeled herself further inside, looking around as she called, "Natsu! Are you here? I'm back!"

Silence.

She knew he was around, she thought with a frown appearing on her face. She could still feel the incredible heat that filled the apartment. She tried again, calling for him, seeking some kind of response, but then gave up with a disappointed sigh and wheeled herself into the kitchen, intending on seeking some sort of drink to quench the thirst that accompanied such heat. She'd barely been able to get a water bottle out and was sipping at it as she turned the chair around with her good hand when she saw it.

What she came across brought her to a screeching halt.

There, crouched on bare feet on top of her dining table, was a figure. A figure with a T-shirt that was frayed and fairly worn and a pair of cargo shorts, the pockets unbuttoned. His neck held a nasty looking scar that contrasted sharply with sun-kissed skin and Lucy felt should have been covered by something that she couldn't put her finger on. Pink hair lay in a tousled mess upon his head, sticking up in every direction and his piercing onyx eyes stared right into hers with an equally as horrified and shocked look.

There was one moment of stunned silence as they stared at one another, unable to tear their eyes away from each other.

Lucy could hear her breath coming and going in sharp gasps that pained her already sore sides and chest, but she couldn't help but hyperventilate at the situation that had arisen, because she knew the person before her as well as she knew her own face.

No one else had hair like that, and she knew that even if she'd only seen his picture once.

"Nat...su?" she breathed, her eyes wide.

His face changed into bewilderment before a look of raging anger and then one of excitement. "Hey, Luce!" he greeted with a grin.

That grin faded when Lucy began to cry.

* * *

 _At last does Lucy not only return home, but look who's finally up and talking! :D Thanks to reviewers (maalikdb, MehKitty, luv it, silver light of dawn, Alternative Angel, NaLu x Buckets, , ilftnatsu, lkityan, canorahagedoorn, Kinsutenekochan, CuteKitty164, Guest, Usweasil, and Mechanical-Rose-Sama!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	12. Chapter 12

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

She was still crying an hour later despite the panicking ghost's attempts to get her to calm down, and it was only when Natsu moaned about choosing the stupidest girl in the building to haunt that she began to calm down. She didn't need a goddamn _poltergeist_ telling her that she was being ridiculous!

Still, by the end of it, her eyes were puffy and her throat parched to the point that she'd drained a water bottle. Her face was red, and she sniffled a few times as she simply forced herself to come to a conclusion, the only one that she could make at the moment.

She, Lucy Heartfilia, had nearly died and was now seeing things she certainly hadn't seen before.

She was going to have some sharp words with _everyone_ tonight.

Lucy sniffed one more time before rasping, "Well. I can see you now."

"Thought as much when you started freaking out," he drawled in response.

Silence.

Lucy was hunched over painfully in her wheelchair, ignoring the throbbing and stabbing pains in her back. She wanted to sit up - needed to sit up - but couldn't bring herself to do it. She wiped at her eye before glancing up at him. Natsu was seated on the edge of her table, bare feet dangling, onyx eyes watching her every movement. Heat sweltered around the pair, radiating off of him, and Lucy could practically _feel_ the emotions that came off of him. _Pain, sorrow, fury, terror, rage, danger_. The list went on and on.

But for the most part, she could feel a happy relief that came from him, filling her own body with an elation she didn't understand. She struggled to damper it as she choked out, "I...you threw knives at Gray's head?"

Natsu burst into loud laughter, his face taking on an excitedly evil look. "Hell yeah, I threw knives at the bastard! Left me alone here. Deserved it. Not like I was _intending_ to hit him. I was pretty proud of my work you know."

"You shouldn't be," Lucy said with a faint laugh. Her lip quivered again suddenly and he began to glare at her warningly.

"Don't you dare," he growled, "Don't you _dare_ start crying again! I can't handle it!"

She gave a slightly hysterical laugh, a choked sob bubbling from her lips. "Tell me that again when you start seeing ghosts like it's normal, okay?

"Uh, _hello_?" He waved a hand in front of his own face with a fairly annoyed face. "It kinda is normal for some of us, you know? And let me tell ya, Luce, I've seen some _ugly_ suckers walk past the building with whoever they were tracking." Natsu made a face in disgust at the memory before kicking a foot boredly. "Glad you're back," he told her suddenly. "Been boring as hell around here without your TV shows going."

She pinched the bridge of her nose, swallowing thickly. "What TV shows do I possibly get to watch when you're too busy switching the channels around?"

He cracked a grin that was nearly childish, his white teeth flashing. "If you turned on the _right_ shows, maybe I wouldn't!"

"Jerk," she sighed exhausted, finally sitting up. She cringed when pain snapped through her, warning her that she'd been doing too much. She _had_ to rest. Or she'd end up right back in the hospital, that was Porlyusica's deal with her. She winced, glancing back to where she'd left the medication that had been sent home with her. "...you can grab things, right?"

"Yep." He hopped down, not making a sound when his feet hit the ground. He seemed to know what she'd wanted and snatched up the bag of medicine before bringing it over to her and dropping it into her lap. She winced at the heat that came off of the bag, but uttered a thanks and went to work on figuring out what she needed to take.

Natsu watched closely as she did so, his onyx eyes burning with some emotion that Lucy couldn't place when she glanced up at him. The emotions coming off of him switched so quickly, it made her dizzy, but she said nothing, focusing on what she needed to do.

She was tilting her head back carefully to take a pill when Natsu suddenly said, his voice emotionless and quiet, "They said you were hit by a car."

"Apparently," she answered with a sigh. She rested her head back and closed her eyes, her breath catching painfully in her throat every now and then. "I don't remember much. Hit my head really hard, was knocked out for a few weeks. There were some other injuries, but…at least I'm alive."

Natsu only grunted, seemingly uninterested as he padded silently away. Lucy watched him go with a look of confusion, wheeling curiously after him. But by the time she reached the small area that led to her living room, he was gone, having disappeared into thin air. "...Natsu?" she muttered in confusion, not feeling any heat for the moment.

A moment later, the door opened, and Levy bustled in, a bag tucked under her arm. A gentle smile was on her face as she dropped it on the couch, catching sight of Lucy. "Sorry, turns out there were some people who noticed you coming in and wanted to know how you were doing...everything okay?"

Lucy contemplated the idea of admitting that she'd seen Natsu for the first time ever despite living with him for so long, but declined the idea almost immediately. She wanted to talk to Juvia first. "Yeah...just had to take some medicine. Help me onto the couch?"

Levy beamed and hurried over to grab the handles on the back of her wheelchair, pushing her over to the couch. "Sure thing," she agreed, rolling up her sleeves. "You get some sleep or just chill and watch some TV, okay? Juvia and I are going to go out and do some things, and I'll stop by with Happy before we start setting up for your party."

"Thanks." Lucy grinned at the thought of getting to see her cat, shifting an arm around Levy's shoulders. She grimaced in pain as the smaller woman helped her onto the couch, but somehow managed to get around the pain without a sound. "Natsu shouldn't be causing any issues in your apartment for the time being, I don't think," she told her hesitantly.

"Really?" Levy beamed. "Did he show up?"

Lucy's eyebrow twitched. "In a way. If you call lights flickering showing up."

Levy hummed. "I see. Well, I'll go get Gajeel and Happy. If you need anything, give someone a call, okay? We'll be here as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Levy-chan," Lucy said honestly, grabbing Levy's wrist before she could leave and squeezing it gently in gratitude. She felt a twinge of guilt for lying to her friend, but silently promised to tell her as soon as she'd had her chat with Juvia.

"No problem. See you in a bit, Lu-chan!" Levy moved to leave as soon as Lucy was comfortable, then paused and sighed heavily, "Natsu, if you want to come and join the party then you can, okay? Just...be careful, other people will be there."

Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin when hot breath washed over the back of her neck. Natsu had draped himself over the back of the couch, hanging there awkwardly. His piercing gaze rested on Levy as he muttered, "No shit. 'Cause I want some weirdo bringing exorcists after me." Lucy tensed, but Levy didn't seem to notice, waving before leaving.

As soon as she was gone, Lucy whipped her hand around to swat at Natsu until he moved. She could feel the heat, the strange twist of the air where he'd been, but she felt no solid flesh, and it made her pause. Unable to turn to look at him, she demanded, "Where'd you run off to?"

"Book woman's pissed at me." His onyx eyes watched something that Lucy couldn't see. "I got mad and may have ripped up a few books."

"Natsu," Lucy scolded, but it came out more as an exasperated sigh. She jumped when he carelessly dropped onto the couch, her eyes studying the way he seemed to not create an indent in the cushion. Interested yet wary, the blonde cautiously asked, "Natsu?" He glanced at her. "How can you sit like this when you're not…" She fought for the word before finishing. "Solid?"

Natsu blinked and then gave a wide grin that told her of trouble. "I dunno. Just happens. It's like when I do this." He reached out, ignoring the way she flinched away from the heat that roiled off of him. He gently rested his fingers against her arm, and her eyes went wide at the realization that she could actually feel the pressure. "Depends on how much energy I use, I guess. Takes a lot of hard thinking to actually physically touch things. I don't get tired, but I get pissed off about it."

Which explained the vicious yanking on her hair. Lucy felt a flash of guilt; he'd tried hard to get her attention, and she'd only ignored him.

Not that he could do it now. Subconsciously, Lucy reached up to touch what little hair had grown back, her gaze darkening with grief. Her hair was something important to her. Shaking the thoughts off, Lucy looked back at her poltergeist friend. "Are you going to join us later? At Levy's?"

He snorted. "Of course." The spirit hopped to his feet and Lucy blinked when the lights flickered for a moment. His gaze darted this way and that, searching for something she didn't see.

She took the moment to watch him closely.

Natsu was friendly, she knew. Sometimes violent, sometimes cranky depending on the day, but she'd _never_ call him an evil spirit that needed to be exorcised. Who wouldn't get violent at times like this? It must suck, being a ghost. Never able to move on. He could sense anything and everything that went on in what he had probably claimed as his building despite Gajeel's ownership.

Tears gathered in the young woman's eyes at the thought.

He couldn't go on to whatever came after death. He was stuck here. The question, then, was _why_.

Suddenly, Lucy asked, "Natsu. Why don't you want us to figure out how you died?"

He went still, very still. Still enough that she began to feel like she shouldn't have asked the question especially when the lights flickered and her TV switched on before flipping through channels. A book or two flew off of her bookshelves, and Lucy bit her lip to hide her fear when Natsu slowly turned to give her a piercing look, scrutinizing every reaction and emotion that crossed her face.

Finally, he answered. His voice was blank as he spoke, hard and gruff.

"I don't remember how I died," he told her with a scowl, looking her straight in the eye and unnerving her as he did so. "Kinda like your amnesia with getting run over. I don't remember a lot of things. I remember Gray and Erza and Juvia, I remember my father and how I felt for years after he just up and disappeared on me. I remember the long term things. But I don't remember how I died. And I…" He shook his head. "Something bad happened. I can sense danger and it has to do with this." As if proving what he meant, Lucy felt the heat rise in the room. "All of the other ghosts I've seen are cold. I'm fired up, all the damn time."

Lucy listened with care before murmuring, "So you don't want us looking into it because-"

"I think it'll get you killed." He was curt, a hiss in his throat at the thought. "And I won't let that happen. Try and find out, Lucy, and it won't end well for anyone, got it?"

"...sure." Lucy bit her lip, looking away.

How had he gone from a friendly and grinning ghost to _this_? It was like someone had flipped a switch on his personality! And it made her uncomfortable. So she took a deep breath and came up with a solution.

She'd figure it out whether he liked it or not.

She'd just make sure he didn't find out.

Suddenly, Natsu was cheerful again. The darkness around him lifted, filling her own body with an elation she was startled by. The pink-haired spirit seemed to launch himself into the air and landed lightly on the couch cushion beside her, his onyx eyes gleaming as he said eagerly, "So since we can talk now...I wanna know how you found that ice-obsessed stripper. And Erza. Then you can help me figure out how to piss off that weird iron freak when he comes to visit the book woman-"

"You're as bad as he is when it comes to names," Lucy whined. "Levy has a name you know!"

"She's the book woman," Natsu said with a shrug. "I don't think anyone's ever owned as many books as she does. Dunno how the hell she keeps 'em organized...but tell me!"

Lucy's lips spread into a warm smile and she rolled her eyes playfully. Tired and wanting to get some rest before she had the party later that evening, Lucy settled down to chat with her friend, trying to ignore the panic that still filled her every now and then when she thought of the fact that she could look at him.

* * *

From where he was comfortably resting on top of a cabinet, Natsu watched.

He'd joined the welcoming party, eager to see and watch the other people there, especially Lucy. He needed to keep an eye on her. He refused to let her leave the building at all. Not ever, not when there was a risk of something like this happening again.

It was hilarious. Juvia was there, glancing at him every now and then. Natsu knew that Lucy needed to and wanted to speak with her about seeing him. He'd listen in, of course, see what Lucy's thoughts on him were to try and stay on her good side. It'd be a bit harder though; now that Lucy could see him, he couldn't just show up in front of them.

The rest of them, however, were clueless. Gajeel looked around suspiciously as if hoping that he'd get a reason to have the poltergeist exorcised, Gray keeping close to Juvia in hopes that if knives started flying that she'd put a stop to it. Natsu grinned; he liked screwing around with Gray just as much as he'd enjoyed the banter in life. There was a group of three that Natsu didn't recognize enjoying themselves. A girl was giggling at their antics and he immediately liked her young and innocent face.

The Strauss siblings were there, too, and Natsu smiled brightly at the sight of his childhood friend. He hadn't seen Lisanna and her siblings since nearly a year before his death if he remembered correctly. Then again, it might have been longer. Time seemed to shift when you were dead.

And then there was Erza. He wasn't sure of the calm man behind her. The strange red mark on his face only added to the mystery, but Natsu thought the chilled man to be a good match for his violent red-haired friend. He remembered messing with her and then getting the hell beat out of him for it, and Natsu found himself upset, the air around him changing with how he felt.

Lucy...well. His Lucy was in pain if the grimace she gave was anything to go by. The book woman asked if she was okay and she lied, telling her that she was much to Natsu's annoyance. If she wanted to go home, why not say so? He'd take care of her. But she smiled brightly, only laughing at something that idiotic blond said.

He could tell that she was bothered. Lucy wasn't a vain person, but she'd always taken pride in her appearance. To see the scars that would mar her skin forever, and the missing blonde hair...he knew it upset her. She hid it from the others, but _he_ knew. She couldn't hide it from him.

Natsu jumped from his spot without a care in the world, eyes ablaze with curiosity as he meandered among those gathered. Gajeel snarled under his breath and Levy smiled beautifully. Erza cocked her head to the side, her fiancé questioning if she was okay. Erza nodded. The others didn't seem to care, though Juvia gave a little wave when no one was looking, and Natsu came to a halt beside his Lucy.

She was pretty. Even without her hair and dressed in some comfortable clothing, she was pretty. He stood easily beside her to listen in on their conversation, earning a glare from the blonde. She'd taken the idea of seeing him pretty well.

The silver-haired woman paused to ask if Lucy was doing okay, if she needed anything, and Lucy reassured her that she was fine before smiling kindly at the dark-haired one's offer to get her something to drink and accepting.

Natsu frowned; he wished he could join in, drinking and eating and laughing with them. He wanted to be able to wrap his arms around his still grieved friends and laugh at their ridiculousness.

 _"Something bad happened. I can sense danger and it has to do with this." As if proving what he meant, Lucy felt the heat rise in the room. "All of the other ghosts I've seen are cold. I'm fired up, all the damn time."_

 _Lucy listened with care before murmuring, "So you don't want us looking into it because-"_

 _"I think it'll get you killed." He was curt, a hiss in his throat at the thought. "And I won't let that happen. Try and find out, Lucy, and it won't end well for anyone, got it?"_

He hadn't been lying despite the harshness of the way he'd spoken. He wouldn't mind the idea of Lucy helping him move on if he wasn't worried about her. As long as Lucy wasn't in danger, then the rest of them could do whatever they wanted. His gaze darkened as he thought of this.

He didn't give a damn about the rest of them.

Lucy was his warmth.

His warmth...his light... _his_.

Lucy was _his_.

And she had better damn well live a life that involved him in it, because otherwise...he wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to stay the "friendly poltergeist" that she'd labeled him as.

* * *

 _And now we get to learn some more about Natsu! :D Still being a cranky little jerk at the end there, of course, but... Thanks for the many reviews (KaUiA, luv it, MehKitty, NaLu x Buckets, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Trevie, Haus of Lexy, ilftnatsu, Yami-The Lord of Darkness, Maiokoe, uvsns, maalikdb, CuteKitty264, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Kinsutenekochan, dolphintale204, Guest, AFallenAngel1221, OwlChaser113, NaLuFTfanatic, kat5552, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, and silver light of dawn!)_ _as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	13. Chapter 13

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

Days went on peacefully after that.

Lucy slowly began to return to how she'd once been - not without occasional pain that tore through her, of course, particularly the headaches. She was determined to get back to her life as soon as possible and the second Porlyusica and Wendy declared her back healed enough to start walking, she got to work. It was a hard and difficult process - the muscles in her body had gone weak from not being used - but she was soon able to get by with just a cane.

Her back still hurt every now and then, but it wasn't bad enough to require much. She was allowed to return to work at Gajeel's shop, and was convinced by everyone she spoke to that it was alright to take on the easier and higher-paying full-time job Gajeel offered rather than working part-time at her other job. It was easier on her, the lack of movement, and Lucy finally agreed to offer Yukino her job instead, those in charge eagerly agreeing.

She was happy that everyone was as proud as they were of her. She'd become close friends with Jellal and Erza, who had _finally_ decided on a wedding date, and Gray and Juvia. Levy and Gajeel were always there, of course, and Lucy liked to chat often with Yukino when she stopped in Gajeel's shop to say hi to them all, particularly a flirtatious Sting.

The only one who was still dwindling into rageful fits of unhappiness, of course, was none other than Natsu.

He'd thrown the biggest tantrum Lucy had ever seen the first time she told him that she planned to return to working. She'd been shocked when the light bulbs had exploded and her entire bookshelf had tipped over as he glared angrily at her, demanding _why_ she felt the need to go and leave the building.

 _"The last time you left, you nearly joined me in this hellish existence,"_ he'd snarled.

Lucy had been quick to respond in a snippish voice, ready to call Levy over to her apartment and have her say her spell to give Lucy a break for a few hours. _"I didn't nearly, I did. I died for a few seconds, and I will die again, Natsu. I'm human. It's what we do after almost a century of life so long as it's a natural death. And you're not keeping me trapped in this building twenty-four freaking seven, you hear me? I will exorcise your ass."_

Their little argument had ended pretty quickly after that. Natsu was still cranky about the whole ordeal and Lucy would occasionally receive small tugs on her slowly growing blonde hair - she was happy that it grew so quickly, as it had finally gotten to the point that she could style it into a pixie cut until it grew longer - when she wasn't looking.

All in all, life had been good.

And the research had been long.

Despite Natsu's demands, Lucy had secretly continued her research on his death on a laptop that she stole from Rogue every day while at work. When she wasn't dealing with customers at the register, she was digging deep into his death, going so far as to call the previous owners of the building she lived in.

Not many approved. Gajeel was suspicious and retorted that there'd been nothing that he knew of, and Gray - Lucy still laughed over the reaction he'd given when she'd told him Natsu had thrown knives at his head just because he could and hadn't meant to hurt him - had told her that whatever had happened was pointless to look into. Juvia was reluctant, even, and Erza…

Well. Erza had experienced Natsu's ghosty temper first hand and had told her to stop what she was doing.

Even _Levy_ wasn't willing to help her, and it frustrated Lucy to no ends.

What was wrong with trying to help him? He'd mentioned that he hated it, this hanging around for as long as he had without so much as a second to sleep. He _wanted_ to move on, desperately. Even as much as he didn't want to leave Lucy behind.

After months of digging around and trying to figure out something to make up for scaring Natsu as badly as her accident had, the young blonde found herself staring at the screen before her.

Social media was one of the best things ever created.

She'd felt as if something was missing. The entire time she'd spent seeing ghosts - and Natsu had been right, the ghosts were ugly and terrifying for the most part, full of despair and vengeful rage that made her quiver - she'd felt that something was missing with the spirit. Something was off about his appearance, and she hadn't been able to figure out what.

Seeing the picture of a familiar grinning man with a white scarf made of strange material thrown around his throat told her what had been missing.

A finger touched the screen, tracing the scarf. She remembered seeing it in the picture she'd shown to Gray months before. Shifting, Lucy cocked her head. Maybe he'd know where to find it? Not that he'd be very willing to help her…

"Oi. Blondie, when you're done staring at that thing like a fuckin' stalker, could you help the customer?"

Lucy flushed, shutting the laptop as she apologized to the amused customer, "Sorry!"

"No worries," he laughed. "We all have such moments."

Still blushing, Lucy finished checking out his purchase and sent him on his way before turning to a glaring Gajeel. "Sorry!" she repeated with a faint smile. "I've just...I'm looking for something. It's damn hard to find, too."

Gajeel grunted as he carefully used the drill in his hand to carve a piece of iron away from the beautiful statue he was crafting. It had been custom ordered and was turning out to be rather big. Not a big deal for him, he could just charge a bit extra. "And what the hell is so important that you're stealing Rogue's machine? Get your own. Ya got the money."

She stuck her tongue out, unhappy. "Shush. I could buy this entire place out from under you if I wanted, but because I'm _kind_ and _benevolent_ , I'm not going to."

Gajeel snickered. "Gihi," he chuckled. "I'd like to see ya try, woman."

"I don't know," Lucy sighed, "It'd be a good birthday gift for Levy…"

" _Shit_ , is it her birthday already?" The dark-haired man's head shot up, crimson eyes flashing with panic. "Oi!" he shouted over his shoulder, "Sting, what's today?!"

Sting, who'd been arranging a new display, paused to check the calendar that was hung nearby and shouted back, "The day you learn to understand a freaking woman's sense of humor!"

Lucy cackled, and then beamed when the bell rang, signaling someone had stepped inside. That someone was Yukino, her cheeks flushed and her arms laden with food and drinks. "I brought some for everyone," she told Lucy as she set it on the counter beside the register before slapping Sting's hand away when he came over to steal some. "Don't touch that, that's Lucy's, Sting-sama!"

" _Sama_ , eh?" Lucy teased. "Since when did Sting become some all high and powerful leader?"

Sting gave his friend a crooked grin. "Since Rogue left town for the weekend. You're lucky he knows you'll take care of his laptop for him, or he'd have taken it with him." Sting leaned on the counter as Gajeel wandered over to join the small feast that awaited. Yukino began to hand out the food, and Lucy kicked her legs happily, ignoring the sight of the nasty scars on her healed arm as she reached for a drink.

Sipping at it, she cocked her head and watched the way Sting and Yukino interacted. She'd become quite close with everyone in the last few months, and she considered them all her family. Gajeel had become like an older brother alongside Gray, constantly inspecting any boy who was brave enough to come sniffing, and Levy warned her of whatever he reported. Erza offered violence to anyone who upset her, and Jellal simply smiled in a gentle way, encouraging her to talk if there was something on her mind. Sting, Rogue, and Yukino were all friendly enough, playful, and Juvia was who she went to if she had questions about the ghosts she saw.

And then there was Natsu.

The spirit was her closest friend, she realized with a snort, shoving a fry into her mouth.

She loved Natsu dearly and would always love him. She just hoped that she could help him move on before he got bad enough that it required an exorcism.

"He also knows that if he took his laptop, I'd be bored out of my mind," Lucy retorted to the blond man with a smirk on her face. "You and Gajeel are boring when you're working all day. I have no one to talk to until Yukino stops by."

Yukino, biting into her sandwich, giggled around the food, hurrying to chew and swallow before smiling warmly and saying, "I'm glad you enjoy my presence that much, Lucy."

"I enjoy everyone's presence as so long as they're not being stupid," she hummed.

They all enjoyed themselves - even the fairly grumpy Gajeel - for close to an hour, and then Yukino had to reluctantly leave and go to the job she'd taken over for Lucy. She bid them farewell and Lucy waved as she left, smiling to herself - only to pause when Sting suddenly narrowed his eyes and sprinted after the woman, calling for her to wait.

Leaning on the counter, Lucy glanced at Gajeel. Crimson eyes were locked on the pair at the door, a knowing look in them as he grunted roughly, "About fucking time, Eucliffe. Been making eyes at her for months and he's finally gettin' around to asking her on a date."

"You have no room to talk," Lucy laughed as she opened the laptop again, not bothering to minimize the browser. Gajeel was on the other side of the counter and wouldn't be able to see it unless he -

He suddenly twirled the laptop towards him, squinting at the picture that was up. He glanced to her suddenly, and Lucy flushed, looking away as he huffed, "I thought we told ya to stop lookin' into his stuff, woman."

"I know, I know," Lucy muttered, "It's just...I want to help him. Anyways, this scarf. I need to find it." She reached around to tap it on the screen. "In every single picture, he's wearing it, but he doesn't have it anymore. I think it means a lot to him, and if we can find it, I bet it'll improve his attitude."

"Not for very long," Gajeel muttered. He studied the scarf and made a face before pushing the laptop back at her. She closed out of the browser and shut it with a frown, and he eyed her before grunting, "Ya should ask that stripper. I'm sure he'd be able to find it."

"I don't want to upset him," Lucy admitted, cheeks flushing. She knew fully well that her friends didn't want her looking into all of this and she was going against those wishes. But she truly felt that this would help the situation. "But you're right. I'll ask him when I see him next, or whenever Juvia comes around, I'll have her ask him."

The relationship that had evolved between Juvia and Gajeel was an interesting one, Lucy thought as she watched him head back to work on something. The pair were like complete and total opposites - almost as different as Levy and Gajeel - yet they were good friends now, talking with ease to one another. Gajeel was blunt about her relationship with Gray - telling her when to back off - and Juvia urged him in the right direction when it came to Levy. It was interesting to watch.

Sting suddenly came back with a huge grin on his face, his blue eyes ablaze with excitement. "I asked Yukino on a date," he said cheerfully to Lucy.

"And?" she prompted.

"And she said yes!" he cheered and pumped a fist in the air. His hands, scarred and calloused from what he did for a living, shook slightly as he seemed to calm down. "Will you help me plan it? I want to take her somewhere nice, but…"

"Oh, my goodness," Lucy gasped with mock amazement, teasing the blond man. "Sting Eucliffe, the man who flirts with every woman on earth, is asking for _my_ help in planning his date? I can't take the honor that comes with such a situation, Sting!"

"I'm serious," he growled, glaring at her. But a smile tugged at his lips as he continued. "Please? I want to make sure she has a good time."

"Sure," Lucy promised. "I'll get looking into it now. What day and what time?"

"Saturday, around six in the evening," Sting answered before thanking her and heading back to work some more on the display. Lucy smiled warmly after him, approving of his choice in date. Yukino would be able to deal with the arrogance that came with him as well as Rogue could.

"...I can't wait to hear what Rogue has to say about this," Lucy muttered, settling down in preparation to do her research on a good place for a date.

 _Natsu's gonna laugh so hard he disappears!_

* * *

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted upon getting home later that day. "I'm home!"

"About time," the spirit groaned from where he was sprawled out. She planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. He was laying in the middle of her living room with his face pressed boredly into the carpet. "I kept trying to watch TV, but the freaky book lady kept coming in and shutting it off. And the people around were whiny about it."

"Probably because you turned it up so loud," Lucy sighed, shaking her head. "I've told you a thousand times, Natsu, you can't crank it up like that, it'll break the speakers and cause me to get warnings."

"Okay, okay," he grumbled, finally rolling over to look at her. A huge grin spread across his face. "Hey, Luce."

She giggled. "Hi, Natsu."

He hopped to his feet to follow her into the kitchen as she dropped her purse on the counter, resting the cane she used against the counter with care. It slipped despite her attempt, however, and Natsu was quick to grab it before it hit the ground, knowing it would hurt her badly to stoop down and pick it up. He fixed it so that it was where she wanted it and then demanded, "Anything happen today?"

"Yes." Lucy turned to make her way carefully across the kitchen. She reached the fridge and began digging and rummaging through it with a thoughtful look as she pulled out some leftover pizza, bringing the box back to the counter. An after work snap, as always, would be followed by Lucy reading aloud to keep her friend occupied so that others could enjoy some peace. "Sting asked Yukino on a date and I agreed to help him plan it so that it goes well."

Natsu snorted, scowling. He wasn't fond of Sting, as he'd annoyed him with his constant flirting with Lucy, definitely not something he appreciated. "About time." He watched her pop a plate of the pizza into the microwave and purposely smirked, earning a warning glare.

While Lucy could see his every move, it didn't stop him from messing with things.

So he did it just to piss her off.

"Natsu!" Lucy wailed as the microwave turned on, the time set to an amount of minutes that would cause the building to burn down. She quickly fixed it and then turned a piercing glare on him with those lively brown eyes. His own onyx gaze glinted with mischief.

He loved annoying her.

"Anything else happen today?" he questioned.

"Yes," Lucy growled, scowling. Her next few words were picked with great care and caution. Say the wrong thing and Natsu would more than likely throw a fit and send her back out onto the street - well, to someone else's home for the night. He lit up excitedly, looking forward to what she had to tell him, and she murmured, "I was looking at a picture that I returned to Gray some time ago, and I was wondering...what happened to the scarf? You were wearing a scarf in that picture, and it looked so well cared for…"

Natsu's smile fell away, replaced with a stony look that soon morphed into one of grief and despair before changing a final time into anger - not directed towards, her surprisingly enough. Lucy felt all of this in the air and she shifted uncomfortably as she went to get her pizza.

It was after she'd retrieved it that he said quietly, "I don't know. I had it on me. I didn't go a day without wearing it...it was the last thing I ever received from my dad. He gave it to me on the day he disappeared. And I guess they never recovered my body…" He reached up to touch his neck with a thoughtful look, fingers touching the scar on the side of his neck. "It meant more than to me than anything...and I guess I'll never see it again now."

Lucy sucked in a breath and then huffed it out in a sigh. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I wish I could find it for you...I wouldn't even begin to know where I could find it."

He gave a snort. "Don't want ya, too." He turned away, onyx eyes suddenly dark with anger as he simply walked away, disappearing as he went. Lucy watched him and bit into her pizza as he did so, used to it. "Too dangerous."

 _Too bad that I'm going to figure it out whether you like it or not,_ Lucy thought with determination on her face.

And there was nothing he could do to stop her from learning the truth.

* * *

 _Sorry about the late chapter, guys! I was busy yesterday and had friends over for a while. Hope you can forgive me!_

 _Some of you may have noticed that this fanfic was changed to rated M and has a warning added into the summary by request of a guest reviewer. It was requested that a warning be put at the beginning of every chapter, but that's not something I feel up to doing this far in (it would require re-downloading, uploading, editing, etc every single chapter because I don't keep the documents on the fanfiction website after I'm done), so I hope that it suffices._

 _Thanks to reviewers (MehKitty, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, NaLuFTfanatic, silver light of dawn, Rhianna Park, OwlChaser113, luv it, NaLu x Buckets, Golden Darkness, maalikdb, CuteKitty264, AFallenAngel1221, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Usweasil, StormWitch19851, Julius Night, Kinsutenekochan, Dragondancer81, Itachi anime, and Marsfish!)_


	14. Chapter 14

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

"Natsu," Lucy whined as a book was flung from her bookshelf, her dark eyes lifting from the novel in her lap. "Do you mind? I'm trying to read."

He pouted, glancing over at her from where he was comfortably sprawled out on the floor at her feet, warming them with the heat that came off of him in waves. "Shush," he muttered with a sigh, "I'm bored."

"Don't shush me in my apartment," she retorted, shooting him a look. "Go bother someone else if you want to be a nuisance."

"Ugh," he moaned, wrinkling his nose and closing his eyes. "But you're fun to mess with. And you don't use your little word magic to knock me out for hours on end. Usually."

"If you didn't screw with Levy's books, you'd be fine in her place," Lucy chided gently with a roll of her eyes. She suddenly looked up when there was a knock on her door. Glancing at Natsu and seeing his scowl and relaxed posture, she took it as a safe person and went to answer, hurrying to grab her cane and walk over to open the door.

"Hello," a gently smiling Jellal greeted as Erza eyed the space around her, sensing the heat that Natsu was radiating from where he was watching with care. It had turned out that while Erza couldn't see the spirits, she was particularly sensitive to the emotions and energies they gave off, not something that Natsu was fond of. "We're sorry for dropping in unannounced, Lucy."

"No problem," Lucy laughed, waving them inside and kicking the door shut behind them. Erza followed her, dark eyes searching the room, and Lucy didn't hesitate to point at Natsu and say, "He's right there. He's got his feet on the couch, so watch your step."

"Thank you," Erza said honestly.

Jellal simply shook his head in disbelief. He didn't believe that there was truly a spirit hanging around Lucy's apartment. Even with the heat radiating around a certain spot, and since Natsu didn't care much for him, he wasn't bothered to try and prove himself to him. Still, for their sake, he avoided the spot, calling over his shoulder, "Is it alright if I get us all something to drink?"

"Go ahead!" Lucy said cheerfully. She moved her book aside and dropped onto the couch, swatting at Natsu's feet until he reluctantly moved, grumbling. He seemed to disappear for a moment before she suddenly felt hot breath on the back of her neck, the poltergeist grumpily draping himself over the back of the couch behind her with a strange growl in his throat. His arms hung over each of her shoulders, surrounding her with heat.

Not wanting to irritate him further, Lucy let him.

Erza looked nervous, she noticed as she fumbled with her hand and settled onto the couch beside the young blonde. Her scarlet hair had been tied out of her face in a long pony tail, her body clothed in a simple dress with tights and boots, and an engagement ring on her finger. Her glossed lips curved into a hesitant smile. "I apologize for surprising you like this, Lucy…"

"It's fine," Lucy cut her off. "I wasn't doing anything other than keeping an eye on someone anyways."

Erza chuckled, waving with one hand at the heat that radiated from behind them. "Has he been behaving himself? He was a mess in life. I'm sure he causes problems now. I can set him straight if you want."

Lucy could have sworn Natsu shuddered in fear as he hissed, "She's after me even now?"

Lucy chuckled, giggling into her fingers when Erza gave her a curious look. "Yes," she managed to get out at last. "Natsu's fine. He's been pretty good for the past few days, excluding when Juvia stopped by with Gray to drop something off in the entry downstairs for me. He secretly threw some things at Gray, just to mess with him."

Erza clenched her jaw and Lucy grinned when she saw the tick in her cheek. " _Did_ he?"

"Lucy," Natsu muttered in her ear, turning her cheeks a pretty red. She couldn't feel the pressure of a hand he'd placed on her arm, only a large heated spot, but she could feel the air rush over her neck and ear, as if he was breathing there. " _Stop_. Please."

"Okay, okay," she sighed. Erza cast her a curious glance and Lucy grinned as she explained, "He doesn't like that I'm telling you that."

" _Lucy_!" Natsu whined, and Lucy only smirked wider when a book or two flew off of the shelf in his desperation. Erza gawked before snapping her head around when Jellal appeared, three cups of hot tea balanced in his hands. Both women were quick to take theirs, and Natsu fell silent.

"Anyways, what do you guys need?" Lucy requested.

Jellal gave a soft chuckle. "Erza has a question for you, Lucy." Rather than sitting beside the woman he intended to marry, the friendly man stood beside her, gently nudging her with his elbow. "Go on. We have to catch Juvia, too."

"Right!" Erza took a deep breath, and then asked, "Would you be willing to be one of the bridesmaids in my wedding, Lucy? It would make me very happy to have you be a part of it. I'm going to ask Juvia to be one as well, so you won't be alone."

Lucy's lips parted in surprise and Natsu blinked a few times before uttering, "Huh, didn't see that coming."

Erza looked nervous until the blonde's lips curved into a huge smile. "I'd be honored," she told her gently. She reached out to grasp the scarlet-haired woman's free hand - the one not holding a hot cup of tea - tightly. "And I'm sure Juvia will agree, too. Do you have-"

Erza shook her head. "We don't know many people here," she said quietly, interrupting her. She'd known what the blonde was going to say and Lucy frowned when Natsu growled his annoyance for his Lucy being interrupted. He hated it; she was more important than Erza, even if Erza _was_ the one getting married.

"How about this," Lucy offered, "Mira might like to help? She seems like the type that would be fantastic at helping you out, so she could be a choice."

"That's a great idea, Lucy," Jellal complimented with a grin. "What do you think, Erza?"

"I'll ask her tomorrow," Erza said with a relieved sigh, "I need some help with planning...we didn't get a wedding planner, I thought it'd be easier to do it alone…"

"Easier done alone, but nowhere near as fun," Lucy laughed. "If you ever need my help, come in at any time to Gajeel's place. I don't do much around there anyways."

"Or here," Natsu commented, "You just sit and read books."

"Shush, you," she muttered under her breath, knowing fully well that she looked insane to any normal person.

Luckily, Erza was not a normal person.

"Natsu," she snapped at the empty air behind Lucy, and she guessed that the other woman could sense him being there. "Leave Lucy alone this instant! She does not need you whispering things into her ear, and knowing you, they are very, _very_ rude things!"

Lucy flinched when the heat went wild around her, surrounding her as Natsu glared viciously at Erza for a moment. And then he released a heavy sigh and tugged lightly at a lock of Lucy's short hair. "Whatever. Tell her I say that it's the popsicle's fault."

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose. "Gray's not even close to being around, you can't blame him."

"Sure I can."

" _No_ , you can't."

"Watch me."

"Natsu-"

Jellal cleared his throat to recapture the blonde's attention and Lucy flushed as she realized that they were watching her argue with an empty space. Crossing her arms, she explained sheepishly, "Sorry. Natsu's trying to blame Gray for everything that goes wrong."

Erza's eyes flashed irritably as she muttered, "Oh, really."

"Tattler," Natsu accused with a heavy sigh, earning another glare from Lucy. "Okay, okay, calm your precious little mind, weirdo, I'm going. I'll go bug Levy for a while, bet she'll like it when I tear her book from their shelves again…"

"Don't you dare," Lucy groaned, but it was too late. Natsu had faded from view and was likely moving himself into Levy's apartment to cause destruction and a bad night for her poor friend. Shaking her head, Lucy muttered an apology to Erza, who only smiled gently and forgave her, urging Jellal to finish up his tea so that they could hurry to find Erza.

"Thank you," Lucy told her as they were leaving minutes later. Pride swelled in her chest as Erza pulled her in for a tight hug before saying farewell.

"Thank _you_ , Lucy," Erza replied and then turned away. Jellal waved and moved with ease behind her, and Lucy turned back into her - for now - empty apartment, kicking the door shut behind her with a huge smile on her face.

A lonely girl surrounded by strangers in a party had become a bridesmaid for one friend of many in her newfound family, and Lucy couldn't be happier, to be honest.

All that was left was to figure out how to help Natsu and life would be perfect.

But she found herself questioning just how ghosts who were pure evil were dealt with - not that she wanted to run into one.

* * *

Her answer came in the form of an accidental run in with someone she'd never thought she'd come across.

Well, that wasn't exactly correct.

That answer really came in the form of an accidental run in with an enraged ghost that seemed to like to prey on blonde women, not something that was all that pleasant to deal with.

There weren't many blonde women in Magnolia, to be perfectly honest. Lucy was one of few, and while her growing hair was still short, it was long enough for its lighter golden color to have returned rather than remaining darker, as it had been for the past few months. But it had been light enough to capture the attention of a particularly nasty spirit.

Fortunately, the ghost didn't seem to realize she had a protector.

Lucy had been sitting at the dining room table with a pen in one hand and papers in front of her, filling out some sort of expansion paperwork for Gajeel so that he could go on a really nice date with Levy. She'd been sort of moping over the fact that she herself didn't have a boyfriend - none had come by since her hair had been cut off - while working, and Natsu had fallen silent, which was usually a bad thing.

And then the lights had begun to flicker violently. Lucy could hear shouts from other apartments, could hear the static of her TV as it flipped through nonexistent channels and the thudding of her books as they hit the ground. Cabinets flew open and then slammed shut with enough force to rattle the walls and Lucy frowned as she looked around, calling, "Natsu?"

No response.

Worried, Lucy stood, seeking out her pink-haired poltergeist friend. It was unusual for him to throw a tantrum of this magnitude since the incidences with the couple upstairs (Natsu had explained that the man had been cheating on his wife, something the spirit didn't appreciate), and that had been close to a year and a half before.

Shrugging and determined to ignore whatever was going on, Lucy decided that now would be a good time to take a bath and relax; such things were usually a plea for attention and if she ignored them long enough, Natsu would stop. And not even he risked going into her bathroom when she was in it.

He'd tried once.

Lucy had made sure it wouldn't happen ever again.

She entered the bathroom with her head in the clouds, full of thoughts on where she might be able to find Natsu's scarf. She wanted desperately to return it to him in hopes that maybe _that_ would get him to a better place than here, but Gray hadn't had a clue as to where it might have been, because as Natsu had said, he had worn it at the time of his death.

So, she'd realized that in order to return the scarf to him, she had to find his body.

And that was not something she was in a hurry to do.

Lucy turned the taps of the bathtub on to prepare a bath and then moved away to get the hot water running, her eyes rolling when the cabinets under the sink suddenly snapped open and slammed shut. "Natsu," she growled, "Cut it-"

Her eyes locked on the form in the mirror behind her a split second after a half-rotted hand had landed on her shoulder, breath reeking of decay and death hissing in her ear, _"Found...you."_

Lucy _screamed_ , struggling to smack the hand away, but it was like the spirit who was definitely _not_ Natsu had latched on and followed her as she stumbled out of the bathroom. There was a crash as a small stand with a lamp on it hit the ground, and she hit the ground harshly, jarring her spine. Pain flared through old injuries, but it did the trick to rip the creature off of her.

She shrieked again when it screamed its fury, the lights flickering. Shoving herself to her feet, Lucy bolted through the kitchen and into her living room, screaming bloody murder - which would probably happen if she didn't figure out what to do within minutes - the entire time. The creature - the spirit - came to a halt in a doorway, dead eyes following her with malicious intent.

Lucy took the breather to quickly check out just what was after her.

It was like a corpse, half-rotting, with skin grayed and sagging in disgusting ways. Its eyes were bulging out of its head, brown and misted over with death. Its jaw sagged down, and teeth had been replaced with dangerous looking rows of endless sharp teeth. Perfect for ripping apart pure souls, she thought faintly and nervously. It was wearing tatters of clothes that did wonders for the covering of its body, but the fear really started racing through the blonde when it suddenly dropped on all fours, knees and elbows bent, head doing a complete one hundred and eighty degrees so that its chin was towards the ceiling. It gave a shriek and a grinding sound, and Lucy's eyes widened as it began to scamper forward.

She did the only thing she could think of.

She grabbed a lamp and hurled it at it with a scream of fear. It only cackled, reaching for her-

"There you are!"

Natsu came sprinting out of nowhere, literally flying through a wall as he pounced. His face was a mask of rage and some look that Lucy couldn't name as it was snatched out of midair by his enraged grasp. It faded away before reappearing and Natsu was close behind, snarling viciously as he went into a fight against it. "Lucy. _Go_."

Lucy kept her back pressed against a door.

The _front_ door, she realized after a moment, before taking a hold of the doorknob and throwing it open, sprinting full speed out of the room, all while praying Natsu could handle himself.

 _Wham!_

Lucy screeched as something grabbed her ankle sending her slamming into the ground. More pain flared, and she thought she heard a familiar cry of her name, but it was drowned out by the icy cold feeling that began to travel throughout her body.

 _"Cry...give up…"_ a voice purred in her ear, and Lucy shuddered, unable to fight back. Its voice was so convincing...it _would_ be easier…

And then it was plucked off of her. Things became a blur as Lucy tried to snap back into herself. She heard screams and screeches and shouts, and a roar that shook the entire building. She heard people fleeing when cracks went up the wall, when a portion of floor gave out, and somewhere in the back of her mind that Gajeel would throw a fit when he had to pay for repairs and apologize to residents.

The entire building began to give out.

Pulling herself together, Lucy stumbled to her feet, vision blurry. She grabbed at the wall, stumbling along until suddenly, she heard a piercing scream followed by silence. Moments later, worried onyx eyes were searching hers, seeking her expression for a sign that she was alright.

"Natsu," she rasped, voice hitching, threatening to turn into a sob.

"Got it," he murmured, scowling over his shoulder. "It's gone for now. Still out there somewhere, but I've kicked it out of here."

"It's...not gone permanently?"

Natsu slowly shook his head his pink hair following the motion and swinging into his eyes. He was unharmed, she noticed with relief, and he grinned gently as he rested a hand on her cheek. She felt the slightest of pressures, warmth. "No. Those of us who can't find peace...we're here unless an exorcism is done. That one has no direct attachment."

Her face paled. "Will it come back?"

He remained silent for a moment. "Maybe. Probably not. It'll keep attacking others until an exorcist comes in, but you should be safe. It knows I'm here. It followed you, but it won't follow you again."

Her hands trembled and she swallowed back a gasp of terror when a hand descended upon her shoulder only to belong to a terrified Levy. "Lucy!" she cried, drawing the girl into a hug. "Natsu?"

The playful poltergeist stayed silent and gently tugged on a lock of Levy's blue hair, earning a groan of relief from the bookworm as Lucy buried her face in Levy's shoulder, crying quietly.

For the first time since learning the truth of the world that was a part of her own, Lucy wanted no part of it.

* * *

 _With the changing of ratings, I realized I can amp up the freaky parts. I was thinking of really creepy things while writing this one, and it ended up darker than I intended, but I like it! Thanks to reviewers (NaLuFTfanatic, CuteKitty264, AFallenAngel1221, PrincessSyv, Dragondancer81, Justloverly, maalikdb, LePengwen, NaLu x Buckets, and Alicia Trinidad!)_


	15. Chapter 15

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

As expected, Gajeel wasn't the happiest person in the world when he showed up to check out the damage the next morning. Officials had already come by, insurance dealt with for the most part. Levy and Lucy had agreed to meet with him so that they - mostly Lucy - could explain what had happened.

Natsu showed himself beside the blonde the second that she and Levy set foot on the premises. The parking lot was emptied of any residents, as they'd all been told that they'd need to stay elsewhere until the damage had been and Lucy was glad that Natsu seemed to be okay with the idea of she and Levy staying in a shared hotel room for the time being.

Lucy spared her friend a brief smile as soon as she saw his pink hair and then turned her attention on Gajeel when he arrived at the women's sides. His crimson gaze was glaring at the building as he grunted, "They said the foundation got all fucked up."

Levy shook her head, waving for Lucy to explain. Grateful that he believed that Natsu and other ghosts truly existed, she said quietly, "A spirit - a nasty one - followed me home according to Natsu. It attacked me, and Natsu fought with it. Their fight is what screwed up the entire building. I'm sorry," she added suddenly, distressed, "I'll pay for the repairs-"

"Nah," Gajeel grunted, shaking his head. His dark hair had been tied out of his face, and she bit her lip as he turned to squint at the heated space beside her. "He can come out here?"

"Only to the parking lot," Lucy told him, rubbing a nasty bruise that had appeared on her elbow from when she'd fallen.

"Was lookin' around," Natsu told her suddenly, speaking up for the first time since they'd arrived. "There's a crack in the earth behind the place. Saw it from Levy's bedroom window. He'll want to get it filled in so that the grass can grow. Destruction was limited to mostly the upper floors, where your place is."

Lucy reported this information to Gajeel, who rolled his eyes. "'Course it was… Oi. Bookworm," he said, turning to his girlfriend. "You have anything you want out of there? Residents ain't allowed back inside yet."

Levy shook her head. "I'd appreciate a few books, but none of them are keepsakes or anything."

He ruffled her hair gently. "I'll get 'em for you anyways. Not all of them. Can't carry them. Bunny Girl?"

Lucy's lips curved into a smile at the nickname. "Nothing, really. But if you can check out my desk drawer in the bedroom and bring me my writings and a silver pen with my initials engraved into it, I'd appreciate it."

"Sure," he agreed before setting off for the building.

"I'll go with the iron freak," Natsu groaned. "I can feel where the weak points of the building are. He steps wrong, he's going through a floor." Onyx eyes glared firmly at Lucy. "Stay here. Don't go anywhere. Sucker may still be around, even if he's not in the building."

Lucy held her hands up in surrender. "We won't go anywhere. Thanks, Natsu."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved her off and then faded away.

Levy glanced at her; her hazel eyes were curious as she questioned, "What did he say, Lucy?" She shifted, crossing her arms nervously and biting her lip as she watched Gajeel go into the building through the front doors. Lucy saw what she didn't as Natsu filed in behind him.

"He's going to keep on Gajeel," Lucy told her friend. "Make sure he doesn't fall through weak points in the building, all of that kind of stuff. He told us to stay here, because he isn't sure that the other ghost is completely gone. Don't worry, he won't try anything on Gajeel."

Levy smiled. "I'm glad he's going with him. I hope everything's okay in there…"

The two fell into a peaceful chat, enjoying one another's presence and waiting for Gajeel and Natsu to come back. Levy was nervous, glancing around every now and then, but it was Lucy who truly kept vigil over their space. She kept an eye out for anything suspicious and was more than a little relieved when Gajeel finally came back out, accompanied by a quiet Natsu.

Gajeel's arms were filled with mostly books for Levy, but he shoved Lucy's wanted items into her arms with a smirk. "Go unlock the car, shorty, I'll dump these in there."

Levy looked ready to cry out of happiness. "Thank you, Gajeel!"

Natsu rested an arm on Lucy's shoulder, and she glanced at him as he watched the pair with what looked like jealousy. "Natsu?" she questioned as the couple headed off to put Levy's books in the car.

He shrugged his shoulders and jerked a thumb over his shoulder at their home. "Annoyed I can't leave. I can try, but I'll just kind of disappear for a few hours and pop back up in there. Must be nice to be able to go out and do stuff."

Lucy's eyes softened and she smiled gently at him, but found herself unable to say much more than that. She could feel the strange pressure of him leaning on her shoulder, barely there but enough so that she was able to feel it. She remained there for a few more moments before glancing over her shoulder when Levy called, "Lucy! Let's head out! Gajeel wants to open the shop today!"

"Coming!" she called back, then turned to Natsu with an apologetic look. "Sorry...I'll stop by tomorrow, okay? Please don't start making the building in worse condition, because then it'll take longer for us to get back in it."

"I won't," he grumbled, rolling his eyes. He tugged gently on her short hair before lightly touching her cheek and smirking. "See ya, Luce."

And then Lucy was staring into an empty space, her mind unable to forget the distress and grief and pure _rage_ that Natsu had been feeling in the seconds before he'd disappeared.

* * *

"Gray, if you break that, I swear I'll personally flay your skin from your face," Lucy threatened as she watched the smirking man play with a fragile piece that Rogue had made only days before.

Gray smirked, giving her a teasing look. "Learning how to make threats from Erza, eh?"

Lucy flushed and turned her face away. "Shut up. What are you two doing here anyways? Shouldn't you be working?"

"Earned a day off and promised Juvia I'd take her shopping," Gray said with a shrug, folding his arms across his chest. His shirt was unbuttoned, though she did silently praise him for still having it on his body.

A few days had passed since they'd gone back for their possessions, and Lucy had made sure to visit Natsu every day at least once, if not twice. Nothing new had really come into existence as of recently. It was something that she and everyone else was extremely grateful for.

"Oh?" Lucy arched an eyebrow slightly, her eyes flashing with amusement. "So why are you stopping here? Purchasing something? You get the friends discount because of her. Maybe even something for free because of how fond Gajeel is of her."

"Like hell I'm givin' my work away for free!" Gajeel shouted upon hearing their conversation. Lucy only giggled when he turned back to Gajeel and muttered something before placing a beautiful and tiny statue of a siren sitting on a rock with its tail hanging off in her fingers. "Happy late birthday, crazy person."

Juvia beamed. "Juvia loves it, Gajeel, thank you!"

Gray eyed the other man with narrowed eyes and Lucy laughed, taunting, "Is that jealousy I see in your eyes, Mr. Fullbuster?"

"Nah," he chuckled before leaning on the counter and moving his head so that it was close to Lucy's. Making sure they wouldn't be overheard, he asked nervously, "Could you have Sting, Rogue, or yourself distract her, Lucy? I need to get a custom order from Gajeel…"

Lucy smiled. "Of course. So long as you tell me what you're custom ordering."

Gray hesitated, and then admitted with a nervous tone, "I'm going to propose. We've been dating for years and we're practically married as it is...and knowing her, she already says that we are… I know she likes Gajeel's work a lot, so I was going to see if he and the other two can get a working ring box made and some kind of ring. I have a gem that was passed down through my mother's side of the family and I heard that Sting's good at cutting them and shaping them, so…"

Lucy's gaze warmed and she gave him a huge and encouraging grin. "I've got your back. I'm sure she'll say yes when you ask. Make sure you do it at the right time though, okay? That'll make it or break it for her."

"Thanks, Lucy," he said, ruffling her hair gently. Lucy, grateful the bruises were long since gone, only beamed and slid out from behind the counter with a call of Juvia's name. "Juvia! I wanted to show something to you...can you come with me for a second?"

Juvia looked startled. "Of course. Can Juvia leave it here so that it doesn't break, Gajeel?"

"Go ahead," he grunted, plucking the siren from her fingers and placing the mermaid statue on the counter. "It ain't going anywhere. Get over here, Fullbuster, ya want to order something."

As Gray went to speak with Gajeel in lowered tones, Lucy and Juvia headed towards the back of the store. Juvia studied Lucy's face out of the corner of her eye before saying hesitantly, "Juvia heard from Levy about what happened. You were attacked?"

Lucy nodded slowly. "A nasty bastard came after me, yes. I owe Natsu big time." She shuddered. "It managed to grab me and I thought I was going to freeze...I thought all ghosts were warm like Natsu. I was prepared to burn, not feel ice."

"Natsu's...unique," Juvia sighed. She paused to pick up a snowglobe that Rogue had crafted. She glanced up with piercing blue eyes. "Most ghosts are cold. Their presence is felt with _that_ , not with the explosive heat you are feeling around him. Juvia thinks that it's something to do with his death."

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. "I wonder...we were looking into homicides and maybe some kind of manslaughter, but do you think that something like a pipe went wrong wherever he was at the time? If an explosion went off-"

Juvia held her hand up to silence the blonde. "Lucy," she said firmly, "We won't look further into Natsu's death. It's a bad idea. Natsu does not want us looking into it, so we won't. If you anger him by doing so, we might not be able to keep him as he is."

Lucy bit her lip, telling herself that she'd look into it at a later time, when Juvia, Gajeel, and Gray weren't around. "I suppose so…" she lied, shaking her head carefully. "You've known him longer…"

Juvia smiled kindly before turning away to study something on a shelf. "Sting made this one, yes?"

"Yep." Lucy plucked the piece up with ease, admiring Sting's attention to details. "Each of them have some kind of signature, you know? Sting has this slash," she paused to point the slash out, "Rogue has some complicated thing, and Gajeel carves out a dragon's head on everything he makes."

"Ooh," Juvia said with interest. "Does that mean that there is a dragon somewhere on what Gajeel made for Juvia?"

"Probably." Lucy smiled brilliantly at the blue-haired woman in encouragement. "Why don't you look for it on your way to wherever you and Gray are heading next?"

"Juvia!" Juvia's head snapped around and Lucy looked over to see Gray beckoning, a rather ridiculous grin on his face. Gajeel looked smug as well and Lucy got the feeling that the pair of them had worked out an agreement after Gajeel had given Gray the traditional warnings about marrying such a sweet person. "Let's get a move on, got some other places to hit before we head home."

"Right!" Juvia gasped, beaming at Lucy before rushing after her boyfriend, pausing only to gratefully and gently take the siren that Gajeel had made for her from him. And then she was gone, following Gray out the door.

As soon as it was safe, Lucy squealed her excitement. "Look at them!" she cried, hopping up and down and clapping her hands together. "I hope she says yes! And then you and Levy will be next-"

"Oi!" Gajeel huffed, turning an interesting shade of red. "Don't hurry us for your goddamn pleasure."

"Levy loves you though," Lucy teased with a gentle smile. "I'm sure she'll say yes the day you ask."

"If you don't want to lose your job, blondie," he threatened, "You'll shut the fuck up."

Lucy only laughed as she returned to her place behind the counter. "I'll shut up when you finally get that building fixed up so I can move back into my own home." She paused, glancing at him as she settled down into her seat. "How's that going, anyways?"

"I've got some people working on it," he grunted. He grabbed a rag from behind the counter and began to wipe down the counter, which held some shavings from when he'd been working there. Lucy frowned when he let them fall to the floor without a care. "Should be done in about a month or two. Why?"

"I was visiting Natsu yesterday," Lucy explained, "You know, trying to keep him chilled out? He was starting to look a little aggravated, but I guess I'd be upset if strangers were running around in the only place you can go to. He's had to be exceptionally careful about not scaring the rest of them."

Lucy propped her elbow on the counter, resting her chin in her open palm with pursed lips as Gajeel muttered, "Well, if he doesn't like it, then he should get the hell out. Something like that happens again, he's done, ya hear me? Can't be pissing people off like that. I'll get screwed over."

The young blonde bit the inside of her cheek before mumbling, "Okay. I'll tell him. It wasn't his fault, he was just trying to protect me."

"Yeah, well, then if it's yer fault, I'll have to evict ya."

"Gajeel!" Lucy cried, glaring at him. "I haven't done anything! It's not my fault that-"

The beginning of their argument was cut off by the bell letting them know that someone had entered. Both looked over in surprise to see a rather cranky looking man standing there with a woman at his side. Both were dressed professionally, and the woman smiled kindly as she greeted, "Hello. We're looking for Lucy Heartfilia?"

"You're looking at her," Lucy said warily, straightening. "What can I do for you?"

"She's working," Gajeel added, "Whatever it is better not take up too much of her time, got it?"

"Don't worry, Redfox-san," the woman reassured, "We just have a few questions for Heartfilia-san." She turned to Lucy and then waved her companion forward.

"Tch." He peered at her out of the corner of his eye before turning his gaze on Lucy. "We're looking into suspicious activity that connects with an old case."

"Cases?" Lucy's lips parted in shock before her entire body tensed. "Are you with the police or something?"

"Or something," he grunted. The man waved at himself, and then at the smiling woman beside him. "I'm Cobra. This is Cubellios."

 _Not their real names,_ Lucy decided to herself with narrowed eyes, murmuring a small greeting as Gajeel shifted to stand a bit closer. Just because he'd been warning the girl didn't mean he'd let her get hurt.

"Yeah, yeah," Gajeel growled, "Get to the point already, you're gonna scare off customers and workers combined."

Cobra turned a piercing glare on Gajeel, but Cubellios rested a hand on his arm to stop any words he might have said. Instead, she smiled and said firmly, "We're here to ask just what you're doing by looking into Natsu Dragneel when no one has done any research on him since just after his death."

* * *

Something was wrong.

His skin would have been crawling if he'd had skin, but the cool and icy feeling that surrounded his roiling emotions were enough to tell him that someone was doing something that Natsu didn't like. And it made him agitated.

The irritable poltergeist growled deep in his throat as he wandered through the empty building. It was lonely there, filled with the sights of different construction areas.

It had never been like this before, and Natsu admitted that he was scared.

He'd never felt this iciness. He'd only felt heat - searing heat, sweltering heat - that had been soothed by his light. By his Lucy. He wished she was back home. He knew she was okay and safe, that she was fine where she was, but he missed her and wanted her to come back. She was good at soothing, even without the ability to physically touch him.

She was his _more_ , even if he didn't know just what that was.

That tug made him growl again, and he glared at nothing in particular.

He wondered why. The evening was falling, the sun casting its warm glow over the earth as he stopped beside a window to glumly look out. _Where's Lucy? She's usually here by now, for our last visit of the day…_

If she hadn't been visiting when she could, he was sure he would have joined that crazy sucker in his sucky existence, killing for pure pleasure. Or he could have turned into one of those freaky things that sometimes whispered into his ears and haunted the shadows that he didn't dare go near, that liked to possess people and torture them and anyone they could get their dark fingers on.

He shuddered at the thought.

Demons were unpleasant.

Other ghosts and poltergeists he could handle.

Demons were something darker and a hell of a lot harder to deal with.

Natsu sighed and kicked at a wall, watching as nothing happened. And then he heard a call, a soft voice shouting his name. A voice that he'd have recognized anywhere. His entire being filled with delight, ridding him of the lonely fear and anger that was a constant in his existence as he vanished to find his Lucy.

As long as there was Lucy…

He had light.

* * *

 _Sorry about posting the chapter later than usual, I had some things to do today and had to finish writing it. New developments, yes? And important ones at that... Hope you enjoyed! Thanks to reviewers (Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Life Death rabidlovingfangirl, nikkiw67, maalikdb, NaLuFTfanatic, mkben, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Alicia Trinidad, AnaTurtle12, walkeabb000, StormWitch19851, tkitty23, sagittarii, Piggypig213, Dragondanger81, MehKitty, AFallenAngel1221, NaLu x Buckets, JustLoverly, Usweasil, DoomCabbit, Guest, CuteKitty264, and bookfanatic727)._


	16. Chapter 16

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

Lucy sat across from Erza at a table in the café she'd once worked at, a cup of hot tea in her fingers as she watched for Erza's reaction after telling her of what had happened the previous day, her tired brown eyes searching the scarlet-haired woman's face for any signs of danger.

Erza appeared calm as she finally opened her closed eyes to look Lucy in the eye. "We told you to stop, Lucy."

She cringed. "I know," she mumbled, flushing. "It's just…" She rocked back after setting her tea down, biting her lip. "I really, really wanted to help him, Erza, and I still do! He doesn't deserve this half-life he's going through…"

To her surprise, Erza's lips curved into a warm smile. "You're right," she agreed. "If anyone deserves happiness, it's Natsu. He was a fiery boy in life, and a kind person despite his father's disappearance and his arguments with Gray. I will help you if that's alright, but you have to keep me up to date with what you find, is that clear?"

Lucy wanted to tackle the other girl and weep, but didn't and instead yawned loudly. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Several things had surprised her over the past twenty four hours.

One, Erza was apparently a private investigator, one that worked independently and tried to avoid the police as much as possible so that she could avoid upsetting them. She'd met Jellal through the work, and Lucy was astonished to learn that Jellal had been the one she was trying to find at one point, intent on putting him behind bars.

That hadn't happened, of course, she'd cleared his name when she'd realized that it was someone else and Jellal just happened to be everywhere at once apparently.

Lucy enjoyed listening to the stories that came with this newfound information, and she silently wondered why she hadn't asked about Erza's work sooner.

Two, Lucy had learned from Cobra and Cubellios that the police - and no one else - knew precisely when, where, and how Natsu had died. They'd refused to divulge the information to the pair, who had been asked to trace whoever was looking into him. Cubellios had done most of the talking, naturally, as Cobra had simply exchanged glares with Gajeel for most of the conversation.

Three, she'd been called in by the hospital. Apparently, they needed to do some tests to make sure that she was still healing as she should, though she'd tried to tell that that there was no point, that she was fine and even walking normally again. But they'd insisted, and she'd agreed to make an appointment, which she'd be going to within a day or two.

And finally, the fourth surprise: Natsu was scared.

 _"I think there's something that was released when that nasty little bugger screwed up the structures,"_ he'd explained to her at their last meeting the evening before. His onyx eyes had been nervous, darting this way and that. Lucy had blinked in shock when she realized he was scared. _"It's_ cold _, and you know I don't get cold, and there's these stupid...these stupid whispers, and it's always them that do the whispering, Luce. The things they say…"_ He'd shuddered.

It made Lucy nervous that he was worried about it.

 _Maybe I'll have a decent exorcist run through or something like that,_ she thought. _One that will know the difference between whatever those things are and Natsu, because I don't want Natsu getting exorcised, too…_

Focusing back on Erza, she beamed and explained, "I just need to figure out a way to convince Cobra-san and Cubellios-san that Natsu's actually still there. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to get arrested on suspicion of being the one who killed him even though I have no idea how the hell he died."

"I see," Erza hummed. "We'll get to work on that, then. Jellal may know something that will help us, he's good at creating such stories. I'll see what I can do to come up with an explanation they can't push away. More than likely you'll need to talk to Natsu and have him ready to prove that he exists."

Lucy snorted. "All I'll have to do is ask Natsu if he can shove one of them around if we can get them over to the building or something. What do you think?"

"That's a start," she chuckled. "I know how to look into things with secrecy, so have no worries. Worry about keeping yourself out of prison and I'll continue researching Natsu's death for you. Worry about him, too. If he really is worried about whatever happened, then you need to keep an eye on him. We can't lose him when we're this far in."

"Got it," Lucy agreed with a firm smile. She sipped at her cup of tea with a thoughtful look. "He's gotten so...gentle, lately," she admitted. "He misses being alive, I think."

Erza's lips twitched as she took a drink of her own cup of coffee. "Hm...I suppose that even ghosts can fall in love, can they not?"

Lucy choked on her tea, coughing and wheezing. "Excuse me?"

Erza laughed softly as she set her coffee down and leaned back, her dark eyes warm. "Natsu never dated. Lisanna used to be interested, but he just wasn't. He never came across a woman - or man, I suppose, Gray was so certain for a short while - that he saw in a romantic light. He was just...too busy being Natsu to notice. He messes with you, has hurt you on some occasions, but that's all of him being a ghost mixed with actual Natsu. I think he's managed to fall in love. He was never like you describe him being, quiet and gentle."

She opened her mouth to respond, and then clicked it shut. She didn't know how to respond for a few moments, and then she finally managed to get out, "Okay, if that's what you think...I really don't think that a ghost is in love with someone he's yanked around by the hair, but if that's what _you_ think…"

Erza only laughed and winked a warm brown eye. "Now. Why don't you tell me what you've found out so far about Natsu Dragneel, hm?"

* * *

He'd been watching for a while, and Gajeel and Levy were more than aware. Levy wasn't bothered; she and Lucy had guessed that Natsu would be keeping a sharp eye on anyone who was in the building when Lucy wasn't allowed to be there. But Gajeel was, and he was giving dirty looks to the heated space behind them.

"Gajeel," Levy groaned, smacking at his arm when he muttered something under his breath. "Leave him alone. This is his home, he's just worried that we'll make it so Lucy can't come back."

"Why Lucy?" he demanded, earning her full attention. She paused in organizing a few possessions that he'd brought out for her to go through while the construction men were at work. "Why the hell did he have to pick the freaking Bunny Girl out of all of the people in this building."

Levy moved to give him an answer and then found herself stumped because, to be perfectly honest, she really didn't know. "...I'll have to ask her," she mused, "See if she knows...did you choose her for a particular reason, Natsu?"

A gentle tug on her blue locks as an answer, just one.

"Interesting…" Levy cocked her head. "Would you be willing to tell me if she knows?"

Another single tug.

"Does she?"

Two this time, and then a blast of heat. Levy recognized it for a warning. She wasn't to tell Lucy about this, and Levy smiled reassuringly at nothing as she told him. "Don't worry, I won't tell her that you picked her for some unknown reason. If we asked Juvia to come, would you tell her and the rest of us why you picked Lucy?"

There was a brief moment where there was no answer, and then a surprising one that was given in the form of one tug, a gentle one that she barely felt. Her lips parted in surprise. "You _will_?"

Another.

"I'll call her right now, she mentioned that she was going to be bored anyways." Excitement flooded Levy as she dove for her phone, determined to call the blue-haired woman that was probably at home cleaning again, but before she could even dial Juvia's number, there was a call from one of the workers.

"Redfox-san!" a man shouted. He was peeking around the corner of the building, waving to catch Gajeel's attention. "We found something back here, could you come and take a look?"

Gajeel blinked, and then climbed to his feet. "Uh...sure. Stay here, Shrimp, I'll be right back."

"Okay," she agreed eagerly. "Natsu, stay here, okay? I don't want you disappearing off before we can hear about this. It'll help us understand a few things, I think."

She received an answer of her book hitting the ground from the top of the stack of boxes beside her, earning a scowl from the small blue-haired woman. "I dare you to disappear on me," she growled, earning a smirk from her amused boyfriend as he clumped off to see what had been found.

"We were digging up the area around the crack in the ground," the man was explaining to him as he led Gajeel towards the back. "Just, you know, to make sure it was even, and we found something in the dirt."

"Not some body, I hope?" Gajeel grunted, earning a nervous laugh from the man beside him.

"No," he reassured, "Not a body." They came to a halt in front of another man, who was holding a strange piece of fabric in his hands, frowning. "We think it was buried for three years at most, probably a few more or less. It's still in pretty damn good condition though…we thought it might have come from someone who lived here a while back and lost it or something."

Gajeel's eyes went wide as he snatched the cloth from the other man's hands, running his calloused fingers over it with a shocked expression. "Or something," he agreed, recognizing the dirty white color.

He'd seen it in the picture that Lucy had been looking at the previous day, when Cobra and Cubellios had come into question her a bit. And he was pretty damn certain that if Natsu - or Lucy - saw it, someone would implode.

Because in his hands rested the scarf that Natsu had never gone anywhere without.

He shoved it into his pocket. "I'll take care of it, get back to work. Thanks for lettin' me know."

"Sure thing." The man flashed a quick grin and Gajeel turned on his heel and hurried away, frowning.

When Gajeel had returned, it had been somewhere close to an hour later, and his gaze was hard and defensive. Levy was frowning, arguing with Juvia - who had decided to come as quickly as she could - about whether or not they should go find him, and Gajeel was willing to guess that Natsu was growing annoyed with the whole conversation because he suddenly yanked rather harshly on both of their hair, earning a viciously glare from the already unhappy man.

Rubbing her head with a wince, Levy beamed. "Gajeel, you're here! Finally! What took you so long? What did they find?"

"Nothin', just some old rubble from some remodeling that was done years ago," Gajeel lied, crossing his arms across his chest and grateful that the sleeveless jacket he was wearing held a large enough pocket to hold the hidden scarf. "I got a call from Sting. Something happened in the shop with some machinery, so I'm gonna run in and take a look. You two go ahead with whatever the weird ghost guy has to say."

There was a flare of heat that told Gajeel of Natsu's irritation, but he ignored it in favor of ruffling Juvia's hair and gently kissing Levy's head before heading off, leaving them alone. Levy looked worried and when Juvia asked why, she explained, "He doesn't ever do that. He's never done that, even when we thought Lucy might not make it after the stupid accident…"

"Juvia thinks he's just stressed out about all of the money he's being forced to spend," Juvia mused before beaming at Natsu, who was glaring at the pair of them impatiently. "Hello, Natsu."

"I take it back," he grumbled without looking at her. "I don't wanna say."

"Too late," Juvia giggled. "You promised." Her gaze softened. "And Juvia knows that you didn't pick Lucy for a malicious reason, Natsu, she's helping you, isn't she? Juvia came across some other stories while researching about such things years ago. A ghost will sometimes latch onto someone for reasons that hold no evil intent."

"She's warm," he rasped, his onyx eyes darting up to her. Juvia blinked at the misery she saw there. "There's this...stuff, it's always pressing in and it pisses me off sometimes. I end up destroying things and the longer she's gone, the worse it gets, and-" He cut off.

Juvia's eyes widened for a brief moment before softening and she repeated what he'd said to Levy, who tilted her head and said softly, "So...Lucy helps you then, she keeps it from getting to your head and turning you into something like the ghost from the attack."

He nodded and then mumbled something Juvia didn't hear before wandering away, disappearing. "Juvia doesn't think he'll say more on the matter," she sighed, and then explained to the confused bookworm, "Ghosts are sane for the most part, but slowly turn not sane as time goes on. Natsu would have turned into an evil spirit long ago without Lucy, Juvia thinks. Sometimes they latch onto someone and use that person to ground themselves. It's rare. It's usually easier to just give in."

"Natsu's something special," Levy sighed as she reached for her book. "That's for sure."

From where he was studying the men fixing up the crack in the ground of his home, Natsu's lips tugged into a frown, listening curiously to the whispers in his ears.

* * *

After gratefully leaving Erza in charge of doing research on Natsu's death while she dealt with the idea of getting Cobra and Cubellios to accompany her to the building she usually lived in, Lucy returned to work, happy that she had a ridiculously long lunch break. When she arrived, however, she was surprised to see that the shop had been closed in her absence.

Hurrying inside, she called, "Hey! Sting, Rogue, are you guys in here?"

"Back here!" came Rogue's calm voice. She followed it into the break room and frowned when she saw Gajeel leaning back in a chair, his feet propped on the table despite Levy's endless protests that he not do it. Rogue was seated across from him, simply scrolling through his phone.

"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked, puzzled, "I thought you were dealing with construction with Levy, Gajeel."

He grunted, glancing up at her. "Yeah, I was, and then I got called over 'cause they found this in the ground."

He dug in his pocket and then tossed something at her. She caught it with ease and shock flooded her at the sight of a scarf she'd only seen in pictures. "Th-this is Natsu's-"

"Yeah. No body though, so that's a start." Rogue's head snapped up at that, and Gajeel rolled his eyes, grunting, "Don't worry 'bout it, Rogue, not that big a deal. Where's Sting?"

"A date." Rogue huffed. "Bastard ran off without a word. I deserve his salary for today, there was a rush order I barely got done because of him."

Lucy licked her lips, mouth dry as her fingers caressed the strange material. Suddenly, her hands tightened on it. "There...you didn't find any…?" Gajeel shook his head. "Does he know?"

"Maybe. Dunno." Gajeel shrugged his shoulders. "Didn't say anything around him about it. Hid it in my pocket when I went back to let 'em know I was leaving for a bit." He suddenly made a sound before reporting, "Juvia was gonna talk to him. Apparently he picked you to pester for some reason. Particularly you. He agreed to tell 'em and Levy will probably come tell you whenever they're done."

Lucy's eyes went wide and Rogue frowned as he demanded, "What are you two talking about?"

"Poltergeist," was Gajeel's simple answer, to which Rogue frowned and shook his head in disbelief.

The blonde woman suddenly said with a soft look, hugging the scarf to her chest. "I'm going to ask him about this...he'll probably get angry, but I doubt he'll be any more happier if we kept it from him. And it's his scarf, his most prized possession, he'll want to know it's safe."

"Careful when you do," Gajeel muttered with a shake of his head. "Fucker's gonna explode on ya. Make sure ya have someone with ya."

"Juvia will help, I bet," Lucy murmured, frowning thoughtfully. "She'll definitely help, she's just as curious about the matter as I am, and she can help see what he's doing...stop rolling your eyes, Rogue Cheney, I see you, and we're not making this up."

Rogue scoffed as he gritted out, "I can't believe you all actually believe in this stuff...it's not real. Ghosts and that kind of thing are merely illusions of one's mind."

"Listen here, Mr. Cheney," Lucy managed to growl out, but before she could say anything more, they were all surprised by Gray coming in with Erza close behind alongside Jellal. All three stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of what Lucy held in her hands.

"...that's Natsu's scarf," Gray muttered, frowning.

"What the fuck are you guys doing in my shop when it's closed?" Gajeel demanded.

"Good," Erza said cheerfully. "You're here, you'll want to hear what we found, too." She turned to Lucy, scarlet hair tucked behind her ears. "Jellal found something while we were talking earlier, Lucy." She touched a hand to his arm, and Jellal gave a kind smile to the blonde before speaking, choosing his words with care.

"We believe that Natsu may have been killed in a blast that destroyed a good portion of your apartment building a few years back."

* * *

 _Surprise! More on Natsu today! Yay! :D Thanks to reviewers (iBook Keeper, TrollalaX, Moon Stone Tiger lily, LePengwen, theShipperOfManyShips, CuteKitty264, Vaneles, AFallenAngel1221, NaLu x Buckets, NaLuFTfanatic, walkeabb000, StormWitch19851, AnaTurtle12, mariahcarmichael3, Dragondancer81, Dvnator, clea everlasting, Kinsutenekochan, shippinginjune, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) So many of you, oh my goodness, thanks guys!_


	17. Chapter 17

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

Lucy was grateful that Rogue decided to quietly extract himself from the room, giving them all strange looks as he went.

Because the screech that left her lips, a cry of "What?!" probably would have earned her no forgiveness for stealing his laptop - which had been taken by Cobra and Cubellios. She owed him a new one because of that, and she knew he still hadn't forgiven her for that.

"Hate to break it to ya, man," Gajeel grunted, wrapping a knuckle thoughtfully on his knee. "But there ain't been any explosions in my building."

"On record," Jellal told him. The blue-haired man glanced at Erza before explaining, taking a seat and joining Gajeel and Lucy. Erza and Gray followed suit, Gray giving the blonde a faint yet friendly smile as she offered the scarf for him to look at while they all talked. "I found out about it when looking through some…" He glanced at Erza again. "...unsavory links with bad information."

"...the hell do you do for a living?" Gajeel grunted but didn't question it further.

Lucy's lips twitched into a smile before she cleared her throat, clarifying, "So there was an explosion that someone wiped off of the face of the planet? Why?"

"That's where it gets a bit tricky," Erza cut in. "It was an agency I worked for that wiped the explosion out of Fiore's history and all because of who it had to deal with." She licked her lips as she rested her chin in her open palm, elbow on the table. "The explosion was intentional, set off by a timed bomb. I found hints of it when I went in to pull on some old favors. I couldn't figure out who set it off, but…"

Lucy bit her lip, her heart aching for her friend. "He was murdered," she whispered. Suddenly, it clicked in her mind. "Then the heat he gives off...Juvia was right. It has to do with his death!"

"Poor bastard," Gray muttered. "Must've hurt a hell of a lot…"

Lucy took on a horrified look, and it was Gajeel who suddenly brought up the idea that brought them all to a screeching halt. "So...that mean I have a goddamn body buried underneath the place?"

"I don't believe so," Jellal muttered, frowning. Trying to piece all of the pieces together, he said slowly, "I believe, Gajeel, that they might have tried to erase Natsu from existence and turn him into some missing person. Which is why not even Gray knew."

"Yeah, what the fuck's with that?" Gray looked furious suddenly. "I lived in the place when that sucker went off. Why don't I know about it?"

"Were you away the night he vanished?" Erza questioned.

Gray shrugged. "Date night," was all he said, looking away. "Stayed the night with Juvia."

"Ugh," Gajeel sneered, "Too much information, man."

"You have no room to talk, Gajeel," Lucy sighed before saying softly, "I don't...can I show him the scarf? Do you think it'd be safe?"

"He probably knows, he mentioned the spot in the first place," Gajeel huffed, rolling crimson eyes and climbing to his feet. "I gotta go pick up Levy and Juvia since the crazy woman joined my bookworm in chatting with our little local ghost, so...see ya."

"Tell Natsu I'll stop by later!" Lucy called after him, frowning when he didn't respond. She glanced at Erza, who nodded her approval.

"I'd say it's alright for you to show him the scarf," the thoughtful woman told her. "Keep visiting him like this, too, it'll keep him focused on other things than what we're doing. I'm pretty sure Natsu has noticed that we're doing what he told us not to."

Gray offered the scarf back to Lucy, who ran her fingers over the material with a warm look. "I'll wash it in the sink, see if I can get the dirt and grime out, and then hang it up to dry until I'm done in here," she mused. "I'll take it with me when I go see him tonight."

"Do you mind if we hang back here?" Gray questioned. "I wanna take a break from everything for a moment."

"Go ahead," Lucy laughed and then slipped back out into the shop, calling a greeting to Rogue and Sting, who'd finally come back. Gray gave it a moment before speaking.

"You didn't tell her."

"That it's highly likely that whoever killed Natsu knew him and might already be aware of what she's doing?" Erza gave a dry smile. "No. She's as worried about him as it is. We need to take our steps carefully, Gray. We'll make sure she doesn't step in the wrong direction. We'll keep Lucy safe. In the meantime, you focus on your engagement to Juvia. Jellal's got his eyes in the darker parts of Magnolia and I've got mine in the legal areas."

Jellal rolled his eyes. "You make me sound like a criminal," he muttered, earning a warm look from Erza.

"Not a bad criminal, the good kind," she told him before climbing to her feet. "Stay back here a bit longer so she's not worried about anything, Gray. We'll head out. We have work to do...I've been asked to assist Cobra and Cubellios, it turns out."

"TItania is back then?" he teased.

"Titania is back," Erza confirmed.

Code names were always a pain in the ass, but they kept an outside life safe. Something she felt Lucy needed to be aware of if she was to continue helping Natsu. She'd already gotten into enough trouble as it was; the young blonde didn't need to get into even more if it could be avoided.

Erza sighed softly as she closed her eyes for a brief moment, enjoying the silence.

Who would have thought returning to Magnolia would result in such a crazy turn of events?

* * *

"I won't be able to make it to my lunch visit with you," Lucy apologized as she dropped to sit in the grassy area in some shade. She beamed at the ghost beside her as he settled lightly, onyx eyes watching her with curiosity. "Tomorrow, I mean. I have a doctor's appointment. Should be the last one unless I call about pain. _Finally_ , I can get completely over that accident."

He didn't look bothered, only smirked. "Good. Finally getting your weirdness checked out?"

"Hey!" Lucy snapped playfully, "I'm not the one with pink hair."

To anyone passing by, she was insane, but to she and Natsu, it was normal. Humming, the young woman rested her back against the stone building and then glanced at him, watching him quietly as he played with the heat that surrounded him. It warmed quickly before cooling just as fast, creating a breeze around them.

There were a few moments of silence before Lucy decided to sit up and get it out of the way. "Natsu," she said firmly, waiting until he'd turned his gaze on her. "I wanted to ask what you knew about that issue with the ground out back?"

Natsu rolled his eyes. "You mean my scarf? I know the freak found it and took off with it. D'ya have it? Did he give it to you?" His gaze became sharp, eager. As if he didn't care that they'd found it...which made Lucy suspicious.

"Yeah," she said carefully, reaching for her bag. "It's in here...I made sure to wash it off as best as I could when I was working earlier. I can't just leave it around for you, so I figured I'd keep it on me, make sure it stays safe for you if you want."

Natsu's gaze practically glowed as she withdrew the gleaming scarf and laid it down between them. His fingers skimmed the material with a longing look when he couldn't feel it, and then he said bitterly, "The last thing Igneel gave me...wanted you all to find it. But I didn't at the same time, 'cause ya know."

"People would ask questions." Lucy smiled knowingly, not daring to mention what Jellal had earlier suggested. "So...you're not mad?"

"Nah," he drawled, leaning back and cracking a reassuring grin. "Just...keep it safe for me? I don't want to lose it again, so…"

"I'll guard it with my life," Lucy said firmly, picking the scarf up and wrapping it thoughtfully around her neck, mourning the fact that she had no hair to fix. She giggled when he beamed in excitement like a child, heat swirling around them as he told her that he was glad she would.

They chatted like this for a while, and Lucy noticed the differences almost immediately. There was a tightness to his voice, a stiff way in his movements, a dark glint that hadn't been there days before. But it lightened with each word she gave until he was back to normal, practically bouncing in excitement as she laughed about Sting nearly cutting his hand off again.

It was when the sun was beginning to fall and a throbbing headache - one of many that had been happening recently - began that Lucy reluctantly climbed to her feet, staggering for a moment before biting her lip. "I have to head back...we should be moving back in soon though!"

"No."

Her gaze snapped to the suddenly wary poltergeist. "Excuse me?"

"You can't," he growled, "I told you, there's something whispering in my ears, and I don't want you coming back until I've gotten rid of it."

"Natsu…" Lucy bit her lip, reaching out to brush her fingers over where his arm should have been. He didn't even blink when her hand went through him. "Is there something I can do?"

He shook his head. "It goes away a bit when you're around," he admitted, and then leaned onto the balls of his feet, mischief written across his face. "So I guess maybe moving back in would be better...but I'll get rid of it. I'll make sure it can't hurt you."

She giggled, unable to help herself despite the sadness she felt. He looked delighted at the sound and her eyes snapped wide as he suddenly leaned his forehead against hers. It was different, she noticed, then the other touches. The pressure was greater, the heat sweltering but something she could handle, and for a moment, Lucy forgot that he was a ghost. Forgot that he was her dead friend.

 _"Hm...I suppose that even ghosts can fall in love, can they not?"_

Lucy supposed that it went the other way, too.

* * *

"Lucy!" Levy squealed when the young blonde arrived at the room they'd been staying in. She threw her arms around the blonde in a tight hug. Lucy returned it with a laugh, and Levy squinted curiously at the scarf that the young blonde had wrapped around her neck. "Is that _the_ scarf? Gajeel said that it was found!"

"It's Natsu's scarf alright," Lucy laughed, fighting for balance for a moment before returning the hug. "Can you get me some medicine for a headache? I'll tell you about what Natsu did when I showed it to him while you do…"

"Sure thing, go have a seat. You don't look so good." Levy left to do just that, and Lucy made herself at home at the table of the room they were staying in, taking a breath to try and gather herself.

Why did she feel so sick all of a sudden?!

But then Levy was there with medicine and hot tea and Lucy found a smile appearing on her face in relief. She thanked her and took the pills before leaning forward. "So he didn't care. He was happy we found the scarf, it turns out. Like..crazy happy. I told him I'd guard it for him."

Levy's gaze softened as she slid into the chair across from her friend. "Good. It looks like it belongs on ya, Lu-chan." That earned a laugh from Lucy, who took a sip of her tea. "Anyways, Juvia and I learned that he picked you for a particular reason."

"Picked me?" She arched an eyebrow.

"Juvia told me that ghosts will latch onto someone, use them to ground themselves." Levy sat back with a thoughtful look. "To keep themselves from losing their mind and turning dark side. According to him, you're warmth, a warmth that he relies on. You mean a lot to him, Lucy."

Lucy's gaze softened with a gentle look. "He's my friend," she said simply.

 _Perhaps more._

Levy chuckled, reaching out to pat Lucy's wrist with a kind look. "While I'd like to stay up and chat about more of our day...you look horrible, Lu-chan, finish your tea and go get some sleep. Besides, you have to be up early for that appointment tomorrow, don't you?"

"I might have to cancel if I'm not feeling well enough," Lucy sighed, rubbing her temples. She climbed to her feet, taking one last sip of tea. "I'll see you in the morning, Levy-chan."

"Good night," Levy replied with a kind smile and then meandered over to the couch to watch TV.

Lucy shook her head to herself and then went to work on getting changed and giving Happy his nightly cuddle time, doing it quickly so that she could get some much needed sleep - and hopefully some relief from the pounding headache that just wouldn't go away.

* * *

The next morning found Lucy entering Gajeel's shop with a confused expression, utterly lost for several reasons. For one, the tests she'd gone in for weren't anything to do with her back, like she'd originally thought. They'd done scans on her head, the nurse explaining in a gentle tone that they were suspicious that the concussion she'd sustained in her accident had maybe created some issues. They'd told her that she was fine in that aspect, thank the heavens, but they wanted to keep looking at the scans and would call her with results later in the day.

Also...who wouldn't be confused to see that Cobra and Kinana were back, accompanied by Erza and pissing off Gajeel as Rogue and Sting watched warily?

"Um...hello?" she greeted uncertainly as she dropped her purse onto the counter. Her hand lifted to grab the scarf that still decorated her neck. She hadn't taken it off for a second outside of in her check up. "Can we help you?"

Erza smiled calmly as she noted Lucy's wearing of the scarf. "Hello, Lucy. How was your appointment? Levy mentioned that you'd gone to it when we stopped by your temporary room earlier."

"Good." She swallowed thickly, gaze darting to the silent Cobra and Cubellios. "Just a few head scans, something about wanting to make sure that I was healing properly after everything...makes no sense though, I mean, they should have looked into this months ago. What are you doing here?"

Gajeel huffed irritably as he muttered, "Fuckers are here to ask for permission to inspect the grounds of my property. 'Course, they're threatening to do it without my permission…"

Cubellios sighed softly and explained, "Cobra threatened. But we could get a warrant. We'd like to check the area out. And we've heard that you're a bit...sensitive to the other side."

Lucy opened her mouth to question if they thought they could find information about the explosion that was supposed to have killed Natsu, but Erza shot her a dark look, as if suspecting what she was going to ask.

The blonde bit her lip.

So they weren't aware that they knew about the explosion.

Wisely keeping her mouth shut about the matter, Lucy nodded. "Um, yeah. Natsu kind of haunts the building. He's friendly enough as long as we catch him on a good day...he might be pissed off though, I wasn't able to go and visit with him this morning."

Cobra gave her a look of disbelief; Sting cackled under his breath from where he and Rogue were listening behind the counter that the register rested on. "I can't believe you guys actually think she's seeing ghosts," the blond laughed, shaking his head and earning a glare from several of those present in the room.

"It is quite strange," Rogue agreed quietly.

"Strange, but something I think possible," Cubellios said firmly, interested. "So you say you see and speak with Natsu Dragneel, Heartfilia-san?"

"Yes." Lucy nervously glanced at Erza for support, and the scarlet-haired woman nodded in encouragement. "He doesn't remember anything about his death and he doesn't want us looking into it though. He thinks it's dangerous and doesn't want us getting hurt."

"Smart for a fake ghost," Cobra grunted, glancing at Cubellios. "C'mon, woman, can't seriously believe in this."

"I do," she retorted before waving Cobra off, stepping over to Lucy. "We'll be willing to pay for any time you have to take off from work throughout our investigation. So excuse us, Redfox-san." She lightly pushed Lucy towards the door, Erza grabbing Lucy's purse for her. "We'll return her later."

"Don't bother, I'm not lettin' ya run around with her alone, Levy would kill me. Even if you're there, Erza."

Lucy reluctantly agreed, though she said nothing aloud. Grateful that she'd be accompanied by at least two other friends, Lucy touched the scarf that was wrapped around her neck. Then she tenderly touched her forehead, where a throb was beginning to form again.

"I guess we could go," Lucy said, rolling her eyes with a slightly bothered feeling about the fact that they didn't ask her if she felt like going to see Natsu at the moment.

She kind of just wanted to sit and doze while waiting for customers to show up, to be perfectly honest.

Grumbling, Lucy asked, "Can I at least drive my own car?"

"No need, you can ride with me, Lucy," Erza reassured. "You, too, Gajeel."

Lucy moaned her annoyance but took her purse from the scarlet-haired woman and trudged after her, bidding Rogue and Sting farewell. Gajeel merely shouted at them to watch over the shop or lose their jobs.

Both exchanged amused looks.

"Honestly," Sting huffed, "They take this ghost stuff too serious."

* * *

 _Sorry about being so late! Hope you enjoyed and thanks to reviewers (Moon Stone Tiger Lily, ilftnatsu, kuroiusagialice, irhina, RunningWithTheRiptide, Dragondancer81, OwlChaser113, Guest, shippinginjune, mkben, uvsns, Usweasil, PinkFireandGoldenStars, MehKitty, CuteKitty264, Vaneles, silver light of, Piggy7869, maalikdb, Life Death rabidlovingfangirl, NaLu x Buckets, AnaTurtle12, Alicia Trinidad, xxsothngvague, walkeabb000, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, DQN2828, and justloverly!)_

 _A quick note to the guest reviewer...I didn't notice that I did that until you mentioned it, honestly. And it's specifically Paranormal. My other fanfics, I don't usually do it. Thank you for bringing it to my attention though! I'll make sure to keep that from happening as often from this point on!_


	18. Chapter 18

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

Lucy kicked her feet in a bored way from where she sat on an opened tailgate of a truck, a curious poltergeist at her side. It turned out that Erza had borrowed Jellal's truck for the ride, and she was grateful for it.

It allowed her to calmly sit beside Natsu as Gajeel led the investigators through the building, explaining hesitantly about what had happened and why it was under construction. Erza had offered to stay behind with her, but she'd told the scarlet-haired woman to go with them and that she'd be fine with Natsu.

Lucy had wanted to go with them, she really had. She wanted to explain in full detail about what had happened to her to Cobra and Cubellios, though she wasn't certain they would believe her.

Then again; the look on Cobra's face when Natsu had appeared at her side told her that maybe she and Juvia weren't the only two that Lucy knew of who could see the other side. She'd ask Juvia about it later.

She'd wanted to accompany them, though. She'd wanted to go, but a sudden bout of dizziness, accompanied by the echoes of another coming headache, had forced her to curl up beside an anxious Natsu. He'd watched over her with an intense worry until she'd finally rid herself of the ridiculous dizziness.

Then she'd sat up, and while he still looked worry, especially when Lucy admitted, that she'd been exhausted and getting headaches for quite some time, he'd looked a bit calmer and had relaxed, willing to simply sit side-by-side with her.

"Lucy?" Natsu said suddenly, catching her attention.

"Hm?" she questioned. Her eyes were shut, trying to block out painful light, and he snickered at the fact that she wouldn't open them before nudging her with his elbow, gaze locked on the group returning. "They're back."

"Mm," she mumbled and then demanded, "How are the whispers?"

"Still there," he admitted. "Better now. You should be moving in soon, right?"

"Tomorrow evening it'll be safe, though there will be more construction going on," she mumbled and then opened her eyes reluctantly, swallowing thickly as she said faintly, "Did you guys find everything you need to? I want to go back and get some rest...I'm not feeling well."

Cubellios frowned. "Heartfilia-san...we still have questions-"

Natsu growled, heat flaring as he leaned into her shoulder. She enjoyed the pressure of him against her despite the fact that she doubted she should have felt anything at all. Her fingers bunched in the hem of her shirt as she gave Cubellios a pleading look.

"Natsu," she shushed quietly before biting her lip.

Cubellios sighed. "I suppose Scarlet-san can ask you the questions later, when you're feeling better."

Natsu cocked his head slightly, demanding., "What are they here for, anyways? Who the hell are they? I don't like 'em, particularly the bastard over there-"

"Natsu," Lucy whined, "Please shut up, you're making my head hurt worse."

He clicked his mouth shut with a look of simple rage before it turned into a calm look that was even more frightening.

Erza blinked a few times and then shook her head to clear it as Gajeel grunted, "You suckers comin' back anytime soon? People are comin' home tomorrow."

"We'll come back to check things over a final time, but I think we're done in this building in particular - Cobra, what on earth are you glaring at?" Cubellios said in exasperation, her eyes irritated with her partner's sudden glaring match with Natsu.

It was Gajeel who caught on. He grinned, a cackle leaving his lips. "You seeing Natsu there, buddy? Can't see him myself, but the freak's hanging around alright. Ain't he, Bunny Girl?"

"Yes, Gajeel," Lucy said with a roll of her eyes. "Natsu, leave him alone."

"He started it," Natsu muttered, but did as he asked, hopping from the back of the truck. He paused to watch Lucy with care, his dark eyes worried when she carefully slid down. Her legs gave out when they hit the ground, and she went down with a surprised shriek. Erza shot forward to catch her before she could hit her head on the truck's tailgate, and Lucy looked a bit shaken as she rasped, "Thanks, Erza."

"Are you _sure_ you're alright, Lucy?" Erza demanded, shaking her head with a frown on her face. "Maybe you should go back to the hospital-"

"No, I was there earlier," she mumbled, "I just need to get back and rest. I'm probably just in the midst of a really bad cold."

Natsu was glaring at her now, his onyx eyes wary and full of concern, yet rage exploded out of him at the same time, turning Gajeel into an agitated mess and making Cobra even more annoyed than before. It seemed to affect Cubellios and Erza a little, even, but she didn't notice. "Lucy!" he seethed, "What's going on?"

"Nothing, Natsu," she said tiredly, trying to reassure him as she pushed away from Erza. "I'm going back now. I'll see you tomorrow, when I move back in. C-can...can you take me to where we're staying, Erza? Levy won't be there, she'll be working, but I want to…"

"Of course," Erza murmured, waving for Gajeel to gently pick her up. "Come, Lucy, let's take you back...excuse us, Cubellios, Cobra."

"Of course. Cobra, would you _stop_ staring at nothing, you're freaking me out!"

"It's that bastard right there, he won't stop making faces," Cobra growled, giving Natsu a dirty look.

Lucy laughed faintly, allowing herself to be carried to the truck. Gajeel hauled her into the backseat, and she simply laid there, calling out a final farewell to her friend. Natsu watched anxiously as she left, his entire being twisting with fear and a darkness that made the whispers seem even more curious than they'd been before.

* * *

Lucy dozed on and off upon getting back to the hotel room, promising to call Erza with a check in later in the day and apologizing to Gajeel about not being able to finish her shift. Gajeel had simply told her to shut up and chill out.

Eventually, she found herself on the couch, book in hand and Happy in her lap, purring contently. The blue-furred cat made a soft sound of protest every time she stopped petting him and it was a few moments before Lucy finally put her book aside, her throat dry as she cuddled her cat closer, whispering, "There's something wrong with me, Happy. I know there is. The hospital wouldn't drag me back in there this long after the accidents for head scans if they didn't think something was wrong."

Happy purred softly and rubbed his head against her chin in a comforting motion. She smiled faintly. "Thanks, Happy," she murmured, scratching behind his ear. "You're the only one who really just shuts up and listens, you know that?"

The blue-furred cat only flicked his tail with a meow and hopped from her lap to go and find something to eat. Lucy reluctantly pushed herself into a sitting position, her head spinning around her as she heard the door unlock.

"Lucy!" Levy called as she stepped in, "I'm...are you okay?" She'd caught sight of the blonde struggling to get to her feet. "Do you need some help? You're so pale…" She rushed over, dropping her purse and keys.

"Mm," Lucy was barely able to slur out, unable to figure out what she wanted to say in return for a brief moment before trying again. "I'm fine, Levy. I'm just...can you feed Happy for me? I'm going to bed early, I think. Oh!"

She stopped dead in her tracks when the phone - her cell phone - rang, demanding that she answer it, and Levy smiled reassuringly before reaching for it herself. "Hello?" she questioned upon answering. "This is Levy McGarden speaking, may I help you?" A brief moment, and then she handed the phone to Lucy, pushing her gently back down onto the couch. "The hospital."

"Hello?" Lucy sighed faintly.

"Heartfilia?" She recognized the voice immediately.

"Porlyusica-san," she murmured in response, leaning back with a frown. "You're calling? I was expecting-"

"The doctor who saw you earlier, I'm aware. We have news to deliver, however, and it may not be what you were hoping to hear." Lucy's heart twisted in fear, her face going white.

"What news?" she managed to finally get out.

"I'm sure you guessed that the scans weren't because of your accident; it was merely something to convince you to come in as quickly as possible." Porlyusica's voice was clipped, yet Lucy though she could detect the faintest tad bit of warmth somewhere in there. "We noticed something months ago, when we were inspecting the damage the car inflicted on you. I thought perhaps a clot might form, or something similar in your brain. We discovered something else, a small mass, and decided to look at it at a separate date."

"Heartfilia, can you tell us if your family - anyone in your bloodlines - has a history of brain tumors?"

* * *

It was near three in the morning that his phone went off.

Gray groaned, exhausted after a full day of work, and somehow managed to pry Juvia's warm arms from around him so that he could roll over and answer, expecting it to be perhaps Erza, with some new information, or even Jellal, questioning about something; both of which had happened recently.

Instead, he received an earful of a frantic Levy.

"Gray?" she asked, her voice trembling and Gray frowned, recognizing the harshness that came with tears. She'd been crying, and for a while.

"Levy," he mumbled, nudging Juvia away when she tried to draw him back to bed with a simple word. When he shook his head, she sat up, scrubbing at an eye tiredly. "What's wrong?"

"It's...I'm sorry, I know it's early...like, really early, but…" Levy sniffled. "L-Lucy got a phone call last night...you know, she went to the hospital yesterday morning, right? They called, and she was...she looked so scared, and then she left! I called Gajeel, but he can't do anything, because he got called in about someone trying to break into his shop, and I-I can't go and look for her myself, because someone has to...someone has to stay back…"

Gray was immediately awake, scrubbing a hand down his face. "Okay, okay, calm down, woman, I'll look." He poked at his soon-to-be wife's shoulder to try and wake her up a bit more. "C'mon, Juvia, we gotta go look for Lucy. Looks like she left and never came back."

Juvia blinked, and then hopped out of bed. "Juvia will go stay with Levy-chan," Juvia decided aloud. "Gray-sama, go and look for Lucy, okay?"

"Yeah." He reached from some clothes, tugging on a pair of jeans and boots, putting his shirt on as he headed for the door. Juvia was just as quick to dress herself, car keys in hand almost immediately. "I'mma run by Natsu first. See if he knows anything. One for yes, two for no, or somethin' like that, right?"

Juvia hummed her agreement. "Yes. Juvia thinks we should take separate cars, so that you can start looking sooner."

"Good idea." He paused to grab her chin and gently kiss her, and she smiled happily before slipping out of the door, purse and keys in hand. He closed and locked the door behind them before heading for his own car, his mind a mess as he tried to figure out just what would have made Lucy run out like this.

It took him only minutes to get to the patched up complex, where he suspected the blonde would be hiding with a particularly protective poltergeist watching over her. He'd never really realized it, he noticed, but she actually lived pretty close to he and Juvia.

He hauled himself out of the car after turning it off, calling reluctantly and quietly - because _damn it_ , it was three in the freaking morning. "Oi! Matchstick! You around?"

His response came in the form of a blast of heat from behind him. He felt anger fill him - anger that had no reason to be there - and knew almost instantly that it was exactly like he'd thought. Gray turned on his heel to face the source of heat and for a split second, Gray could have sworn he'd seen his long dead friend standing there in the depths of flames.

Ignoring the heat, Gray demanded, "Look, Natsu, putting our little annoyance for each other side, I'm gonna ask you this as yours and Lucy's friend. She here or no? If not, I need to know so I can look for her elsewhere, and if she is, I need to talk to her and call Levy to let her know that Lucy's okay, because Levy's freaking out. One for yes, two for no."

There was a brief moment before he felt a rather nastily sharp yank on his sleeve. And only one.

"Good," Gray groaned, already dialing Levy's number again. Juvia would have arrived by that point, he noted as he started for the doors. "She in her room?"  
Another tug.

He lifted the phone to his ear, speaking the second Levy answered. "Found her exactly where I thought she'd be: Natsu. I'll chat with her, see what's up, and get back to ya guys."

"Thank you, Gray," Levy rasped.

"No problem," he muttered back. He hung up without another word, he started forward, hanging up as he went and shoving his phone into his back pocket. He made his way into the building, noting that Natsu had disappeared - probably to tell Lucy about his arrival. Not that it mattered; even if Lucy left, he'd just find her again.

They couldn't help if they didn't know what was wrong.

He paused upon reaching the door to the apartment she lived in normally, and then knocked gently before opening the door. He entered without waiting, scanning the furniture-filled living room. Finding nothing, he moved onto the kitchen.

It took a few minutes of searching, but eventually, he found Lucy sitting in a corner of her room, the lamp switched on and a blank look on her tired face. She grimaced when she looked up, as if the action hurt her.

"Gray?" she croaked.

He crouched on the balls of his feet in front of her, searching her gaze. There was an intense heat as he did so, and Gray suspected the poltergeist was in the nearby vicinity, watching carefully.

"Lucy," he said gently, "What's going on? You scared the hell out of Levy, she called all frantic and stuff."

"Sorry," Lucy managed to get out. She rested her head back, giving a thick smile. "Didn't mean to scare anyone. I just...went on a walk and ended up here. Needed some time to think. And Natsu decided he wanted my company, so…"

Gray made himself comfortable on the floor, legs crossed and elbows on his knees. "What happened? Levy said the hospital called?"

"Yeah, Porlyusica-san." She looked away, towards where he supposed Natsu was. "They scanned my head yesterday. You know how I've been having headaches and what not?" She gave a dry laugh that sounded choked as she gave a sob. "Porlyusica-san said that they found a mass in my brain months ago, but wanted me to get through healing before they looked further into it. I have a stupid tumor, Gray, just like my mother got when she died, and-" She cut off, bursting into another round of tears.

Natsu's heat softened, and then suddenly exploded into a temperature that threatened to fry them alive before vanishing completely. Lucy only sobbed harder, burying her face in her knees.

Uncertain of what to do, Gray reached out to gently ruffle her hair, feeling a flash of brotherly affection for this girl who'd come to him with questions of his dead friend. "Can they operate on it?"

She shook her head. "It's in a bad location, and it's already begun to destroy things apparently. I can't...I'm going to die, Gray. You guys worked so hard to help me after the accident and now I'm going to die anyways."

Misery flashed across her face and Gray tugged her over for a gentle hug. He opened his mouth to reassure her, but couldn't find anything to say that would comfort her as she cried against him.

* * *

Natsu was in a rage, and that was putting it lightly.

Anger and grief and rage and despair...all filled him as he stormed around the building he was trapped in. He wanted to leave. He wanted to hunt down the doctor who'd told Lucy such lies. He wanted to rip their goddamn heart out and shove it down their throat.

How _dare_ they. How dare they tell Lucy, _his_ Lucy, something like that?

The whispers changed as he felt the darkness in his mind gather, turning the rational part of him blank. The whispers became shouts, screams, giggles. Orders.

His lips pulled back in an inhuman snarl, showing just barely sharpened teeth. Sharp onyx eyes became dangerous slits, void of any emotion, skin seeming to stretch too much over his bones.

Orders that Natsu Dragneel would very gladly follow.

 _Mine_ , they sang in his head, _all mine._

At the same time, they crooned to him; things like _"Don't leave me."_ and _"Kill them."_ or even _"They're going to take her, slaughter them where they stand."_

Natsu's breathing - not that he needed it - became heavy, his breath ragged as his clothes turned to tatters, his usually stylish pink hair falling into his eyes, dirtied and looking as if he hadn't bathed in years.

His tongue poked out a little, a grin crossing his face as he stopped in his tracks.

A giggle left his lips, hysterical and crazed, as he raked his sharpened talons along the wall, creating scratches that Gajeel would later complain about, but he didn't care. Arms bony, shredded, scarred, veins black beneath his skin, Natsu tilted his head, looking up, standing beneath where he could sense that warmth resting.

 _His_ warmth.

 _Mine, mine, mine, all mine,_ the voices screamed.

They were trying to take her from him.

So he'd take her from them.

* * *

 _Sorry about the wait, guys! As some of you might know from BTL, my grandfather had a double lung trasnplant Friday evening. I'm very happy to say that he's doing very well and has been up and walking already! Thanks for your patience! Also: some of you may have caught my dragon slayer mistake. There are no dragon slayers in Paranormal, that was just me writing fifty things at once. Thanks to reviewers (KaUiA, Tanensei no hono, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, nanami B, DoomCabbit, Dragondancer81, AFallenAngel1221, MehKitty, CuteKitty264, PinkFireandGoldenStars, DQN2828, Treblemkr, BananaGang, Nalu x Buckets, Compucles, shippinginjune, walkeabb000, JustLoverly, Guest, ilftnatsu, Alicia Trinidad, Irhina, Kinsutenekochan, and NaluFTfanatic!)_


	19. Chapter 19

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

Eight o'clock the next morning found Lucy surrounded by friends, each one of them reacting differently. Erza and Jellal had been called in, and Gajeel had come as soon as the police had told him he could earlier in the morning. Gray and Juvia had simply stayed the remainder of the night, and she'd even asked if Yukino, Sting, and Rogue had wanted to come, too.

Wendy, too, had decided to come and help where she could, shyly admitting that Porlyusica had suggested it upon her arrival to help out in the hospital in the morning, and sat close to Lucy with Happy purring in her lap.

"I'm sorry," Lucy murmured, "I know it's early…"

Gray, who sat on her other side, the only one besides Wendy to truly know what was going on, ruffled her hair. "Just tell 'em and get it over with, Lucy, it's okay."

Lucy hesitantly drew the blanket that Levy had draped around her closer, took a deep breath, and then began to speak, her voice gentle and soft. "Um, you guys know how...how I've been having headaches and more." There was a murmur of agreement, and her voice cracked as she said, "I don't...Wendy-chan, could you…?"

Wendy smiled kindly, and then reported in a strictly professional way, "Lucy-san has a brain tumor. It's inoperable." Her smile faltered. "Porlyusica-san told her as much as well as me."

There was a moment of silence as they all processed this information.

And then Levy threw herself at her friend, sobbing, and Erza took on a look of shock as she leaned heavily into Jellal. Yukino looked horrified as Sting's arm tightened around her, Rogue simply letting his gaze darken with a mournful look. Gajeel grunted, unhappy with the fact.

It was Juvia who clapped a hand over her mouth in horror. "Natsu...does he know? If Lucy is his light…" She flushed at the look she received from Levy. "Juvia apologizes. Juvia is upset, too, but Natsu knows, too."

"It might send him over the edge." Gray shook his head. "We didn't come across him when we were leaving the building."

"Well everyone's comin' back today, so he better not have lost his shit," Gajeel growled.

"And we're back to the ghosts," Sting whined, leaning against the back of the couch with an annoyed look that was exchanged with Rogue. "Jeez, guys, give us a break."

A deadly look from Erza silenced him.

"Natsu?" Yukino questioned curiously as Lucy mumbled to Levy pleadingly. The bookworm hurried to fetch the scarf that she'd asked for, helping Lucy wrap it around her neck. "Who's he?"

Lucy gave a dry smile as Wendy cocked her head. "A poltergeist and friend of mine...he haunts the complex Levy and I live in." She rubbed her temples, already feeling another headache that was coming on. "Apparently he died there, though he doesn't remember how, nor does he want us to know."

"...a _ghost_?" Wendy squeaked, looking terrified at the thought.

Yukino, however, smiled nervously. "Are...are you sure that it's not some kind of demon?"

"Natsu's never going to be one of them," Lucy said fiercely, protective of her friend. "He's promised me. He ignores those stupid whispers."

Juvia's eyes snapped to her instantly. "What whispers?"

Lucy flushed, hesitant to admit what she was about to tell her. "Well...he started hearing whispers a while back. He says that he ignores them. I help keep them away, too."

"What's wrong?" Gray demanded when he saw the look on Juvia's face. "Isn't that normal?"

"Natsu," Juvia said slowly, "May have been hearing demons...Juvia didn't notice them before. Juvia thinks the other ghost attacking Lucy may have been what woke them up."

Wendy stood suddenly, flushing in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry, Lucy-san, but...I don't like this kind of stuff. Do you mind if maybe I make some breakfast?"

"No. Sorry, Wendy-chan," she added. She noticed the uncomfortable look on their three other guests' faces, and she offered, "Maybe you guys can help her? We have a lot of people to feed today."

"I'm fine with that," Sting said cheerfully, dragging an amused Yukino to her feet. Rogue moved after them, pausing to murmur, "I truly am sorry, Lucy, about what you've learned. We _will_ support you throughout it all."

Lucy was touched, and thanked him gently for such words before she gratefully focused on something else, not wanting to think about the hell she was going to have to try and live through.

"So Natsu's been hearing demons?" Lucy prompted.

"Yes." Juvia straightened, aware that she had everyone's attention. She smiled slightly when Gray gently let his fingers touch her knee in reassurance, and then explained, "Demons are different than ghosts...Juvia has researched all of this. But little is known, so Juvia isn't certain. Juvia doesn't think that demons were ever actually alive, that they are simply dark energies that thrive on death and destruction. Ghosts have a hard time staying on the lighter side of things; demons only make it harder."

"They try to convince a ghost to turn evil," Jellal murmured, startling them all. He didn't believe in any of this, though he supported Erza - or at least, that's what he'd said. "Then it's possible that Natsu might fall to them?"

"And then there's no going back," Erza realized, her eyes widening with horror.

Juvia gave a grim look. "If Natsu falls completely into their clutches, then he will begin to hurt people - and not just pulling their hair. Juvia hates it, but Natsu might require an exorcism if we do not hurry and try to fix the situation. Even now it might be too late."

Lucy shot to her feet, wavering for a moment as a dizzy spell struck her, but determined nonetheless. "I have to go back, we have to check on him-"

But Levy had grabbed her wrist and dragged her down. "If he is going demonic, there isn't anything you can do; it's likely that your illness would have been what made him listen in the first place, Lu-chan."

Brutal truth, but the truth nonetheless.

"I'm not going near the place," Gray told them, "Bastard already throws knives. Don't want to know what he'd try if he's losin' his mind."

"Thanks, Gray, that helps a lot," Lucy said sarcastically, frustrated.

"Juvia will go," Juvia decided.

"Uh, no you're not," Gray immediately countered.

"Juvia will go," Juvia repeated with a look of determination. "If he isn't too deep into the change, Juvia can talk to him, even get him to stop. Juvia thinks he's just upset about everything...he thinks he will lose Lucy, but if Lucy is…" She glanced at the blonde, who gave a dry smile.

"I'm dying, go on and say it. Not going to change anything."

"If Lucy is dying, then perhaps we can trick his thinking," she explained. "If we make it seem like Lucy is going to join him rather than leave him…"

"Then he'll calm down and even look forward to it," Levy finished. "He'll take care of her again, protect her rather than trying to hurt her himself."

"You're still not going." Gray's gaze was hard. "I'm not letting you risk your life or whatever to help stop some weird ghost from going nuts."

"I'll go."

There was a brief moment of surprise as a grouchy looking Gajeel spoke. He jerked a thumb in Jellal's direction when they all looked at him. "Him, too. Never seen the bastard fuck with him."

Jellal blinked, earning a curious look from his bride-to-be. "I don't truly believe that he exists, you are all very well aware of this?"

Erza beamed at him, drawing him down to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Jellal, I'm very grateful that you'd do such a thing for me."

He muttered something under his breath, and Lucy laughed softly at the flush on his cheeks. She kept a grip on his hand, twining their fingers together, and Lucy watched with a brief moment of longing before turning her attention on Levy when the bookworm asked how her head was doing.

She'd once dreamed of having a loving husband and family.

She'd never get to experience that now.

It wasn't that she was giving up, of course. No way in hell was she just going to drop dead willingly - she'd make damn sure she fought until the last breath to live, if only so that she could spare her friends the pain.

But it scared her. It did. She loved Natsu, but she didn't want to be a ghost like he was. She wanted to join her parents in whatever came after death - not haunt a place for eternity because she couldn't move on.

She supposed that with how things were now, she wouldn't be able to though.

So, she turned to Erza. "Erza," she stated, her words slurred for a moment before returning to normal. "I want to find out what happened to Natsu. We're going to help him before I'm gone, okay? I _have_ to."

Erza pressed her lips together and then stood swiftly, releasing Jellal. "I'll call Cubellios," she said with a curt nod.

"Come on, crazy woman," Gajeel told Juvia, "We got work to do."

"What do you want the rest of us to do?" Gray demanded irritably as Gajeel, Jellal, and Juvia - who pecked him quickly on the lips before going with them - left. "I ain't good at any of this stuff."

"You can help me move our stuff back this evening," was Levy's simple answer. "And until then...you can keep your freaking clothes on."

And then Wendy peeked in. "Anyone hungry?"

Lucy had never seen Sting come out with a bigger plate of food then he did after that.

* * *

"Something's wrong," Juvia stated the second that they arrived at the complex. Gajeel hopped out first, and Jellal gently placed a hand on Juvia's shoulder to stop her when she moved to start forward.

He didn't believe in any of this, but even he could feel the strange darkness that seemed to radiate from the building.

"Hm," Juvia said, then called, "Natsu! Natsu, it's Juvia! Can you come here? Juvia wants to speak with you!"

There was nothing. Not even a flicker of heat.

And then Juvia thought that her skin was going to melt right off of her body. She whimpered in pain, jerking back a few steps and the two men were close behind, Gajeel swearing loudly. Juvia licked her lips, blue eyes scanning the area expertly - and then she saw it.

There was a shadow, she noticed, in the window of Lucy's apartment. Watching them, she knew, she could feel the dark gaze. It was suspicious, as if uncertain of what it wanted to do with them.

"Natsu," Juvia said aloud, smiling gently. She felt his pain in the air, just past all of the rage and warning anger. He wanted them gone; both because this was _his_ place, and because he didn't want them to see him. Possibly because he didn't want to hurt them either, but damn it, he wanted Lucy. So she tried again. "Juvia wants to speak with you...please? It's about Lucy. Lucy wanted Juvia to talk with you."

That did the trick.

He was there almost immediately, and Juvia gasped, nearly leaping out of her skin in fear the sight.

He looked drastically different than the last time he'd been seen by her. His pink hair was seared and burned, blackened by fire and anger. His onyx eyes had turned into pitch black pits that didn't seem to have a bottom, and his skin sagged. Juvia thought she might have seen bone. Even Jellal could smell the scent of decay that came from him, and wrinkled his nose. A taloned hand lifted to jab in her direction.

 _"You,"_ he seethed, _"You're hiding her."_ His lips pulled back, showing fanged teeth and a gray tongue that lolled out of his mouth after a moment, limp. His entire body, thin and bony, trembled with barely concealed rage.

Juvia swallowed thickly, taking a nervous breath. "Natsu," she soothed, "We're not hiding her. She's coming...she's coming home tonight." She smiled faintly. "Juvia is surprised that you even thought to listen to them...they don't speak the truth. Do you really think we'd take Lucy from you?"

He seemed to pause before growling, the sound deadly and throaty, as if something was catching in his throat. He suddenly hacked harshly, and Juvia grimaced at the nasty black plasma-like substance that oozed from the corner of his mouth and several openings in his flesh. _"Lies."_

"No," she said firmly. "Not lies. The truth. Juvia knows that you care greatly for Lucy. But so does Juvia. And so do the others. We would _never_ hurt her by taking her away from you. We know she loves you too much to even think about leaving you."

"Is it working?" Gajeel hissed, and Juvia shushed him with a small jerk that told him she wasn't sure yet.

Natsu seemed to slowly hesitate, uneasy, and then tilted his head, as if listening-

" _Natsu_ ," Juvia interrupted, hurrying. He was listening, she knew, listening to their suggestions, and she moved quickly, trying to put a stop to it. "Lucy loves you very much, and the voices you're hearing want you to do things that would hurt her. Would you really hurt her? Would you truly do what they want you to do on your own?"

A seething hiss left his lips. _"Lucy is mine. Not yours. Mine. I'd never hurt her like you do. She'll be safe. Safe with me."_ A hysterical little giggle left his lips as he grinned, and Juvia shuddered in terror at the sight as his lips cranked up in a smile that was too large for his face.

"Oi, Salamander," Gajeel suddenly said, uncertain. It was as if he didn't know what to say, and Juvia knew he didn't know what the ghost was saying. "She's sick. She's hurting. Ya wanna make it _worse_?"

That made the poltergeist stop and think as his fathomless eyes turned on Gajeel. Gajeel tensed, as if feeling his gaze, but didn't move otherwise. "Seriously. Yeah, she's got a fuckin' tumor that's gonna kill her eventually, but she's sick. She's been nearly fallin' over all day. And ya want to make it worse? Seriously? The fuck kinda friend are you?"

Natsu growled again, but he suddenly drew back. _"Sick?"_ He turned back on Juvia, who bit her lip to fight back her hopeful look. _"She's...hurting?"_

"Yes," Juvia said firmly. "She's very sick. She's been having headaches, remember? You help her feel better, did you know that?" A lie - nothing made the headaches better, but if it calmed him down… "She's coming home tomorrow. We wanted to ask you to help her feel better, but Natsu, we can't if you're listening to those voices, because they only want to hurt her _more_. Can you get rid of them for us? So that you can help her?"

Natsu stared blankly at her. And then he sneezed.

Plasma spattered the ground in front of them. And then he sneezed again, following it up with a cough. Before long he was hacking and heaving, crumpling down as he vomited more of the stuff up.

Gajeel and Jellal may not have been able to see him.

But they sure as hell could see the plasma, and Jellal swore for the first time that Juvia had heard as he jerked back, startled. Juvia couched, smiling as she reached out to touch his rather disgusting-looking cheek as he whimpered, looking up at her. "It's okay," she soothed. "Get it all out, and the voices will leave. I promise."

Tears pricked her eyes as he hacked again, spitting it.

He was even _crying_ the plasma, a sob racking through him as he clutched his head, digging talons into his scalp and making it bleed the black substance. _"I'm sorry,"_ he croaked. _"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."_

"It's not your fault...you were just upset and not thinking straight," Juvia whispered, giving a choked sound. "And Lucy's not angry. She's worried."

She felt the strange heated pressure as a taloned hand shakily reached up to gently grip her wrist, and she smiled soothingly, shushing him as he sobbed.

"Oi, Juvia," Gajeel began, "Ya wanna get away from that stuff?"

"It's fine, it doesn't hurt us so long as it doesn't get in my mouth or eyes or something," Juvia explained, and then added, "Natsu will be okay. We caught it just in time. Natsu is getting it out of his system now...Jellal-san, could you call Lucy and let her know that she can come home tonight? Natsu wants to see her."

Jellal murmured his agreement and pulled his phone out.

* * *

Natsu was lost. Lost and scared, he wasn't afraid to admit, because he wanted _her_. He wanted her to reassure him that everything was alright, that he wasn't going to try and kill her because he wasn't sure of that himself.

The strange black stuff burned as he coughed more up, his hand refusing to leave Juvia's wrist. He needed the reassurance that he was conscious, not lost and sleeping again. He'd barely managed to wake up enough to listen to Juvia to begin with, and he refused to lose such contact again.

Juvia wasn't afraid or disgusted as he vomited again. She didn't flinch and try to get away. She soothed him, smiling as she comforted him.

He'd tried to explain. He'd tried to tell them how sorry he was.

Because it was hard.

The voices were screaming at him.

Screaming at him to slit Juvia's throat and find Lucy and take her with him, but he didn't want to.

He was tired.

So tired.

His eyelids drooped shut, hiding his missing eyes.

 _I'm sorry._

* * *

 _Anyone else feeling bad for poor Natsu? Anyhow...thanks to reviewers (LoveTheMonster, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, MehKitty, shippinginjune, DoomCabbit, dyanagonzelz0, RunningWithTheRiptide, iBook Keeper, Maiokoe, Tanensei no hono, OwlChaser113, bookfanatic727, Alicia Trinidad, CuteKitty264, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Guest, Nanami B, Dragondancer81, Kinsutenekochan, AFallenAngel1221, fanficlove2014, NaLu x Buckets, and Mechanical-Rose-Sama)! Hope you all enjoyed!_


	20. Chapter 20

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

Lucy shifted uneasily, impatient to get out of the car as Levy drove them back to the complex. They were only seconds away, and she was desperate to get to Natsu after the phone call that they'd received.

She'd been answering questions on the phone upon Cubellios' demand when Jellal had called. Aware that something had probably happened, Erza had excused them and promised to bring Lucy to their office the next day before hanging up and answering.

Not even five minutes later, Lucy was dragging Levy out to the car, leaving Erza in charge of dealing with their other friends.

Lucy saw them the second Levy pulled into the parking lot. Juvia was knelt in some grass with a sobbing Natsu cradled in her arms, Jellal and Gajeel edging away from a strange pool of black substance that was sticking to the pair on the ground. Levy blinked, startled, but Lucy threw herself from the car and stumbled over, ignoring her migraine, because _damn it_! Natsu was more important!

She didn't hesitate to drop to her knees in the puddle beside Juvia, who warned, "Don't get it in your mouth or anything, Lucy, it'll possess you."

Lucy said nothing, only nodded.

She struggled not to show her terror and shock at her poltergeist drastically deadly look as Juvia murmured to him and he was shifted into her lap. She could feel the blistering heat as he coughed more plasma up, and she smiled gently as she took him, smoothing her fingers over his scalp. She expected to feel nothing more than pressure.

To her shock, she felt just the slightest tickle of hair on her fingertips.

Ignoring the black that spattered her her shirt, Lucy hugged him as tightly as she could, burying her face in his bony shoulder, and his taloned fingers dug painfully into her back as he sought comfort, his body shaking with sobs.

 _"I'm sorry,"_ he whispered in a voice that wasn't his own. _"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"_

He repeated it, almost babbling the words as Levy moved over to tuck herself under her boyfriend's arm. When he lifted his head to look at her, her heart nearly stopped in her chest. But she met those soulless black eyes without fear as he searched her gaze, his sharp teeth showing as he studied her. _"Lucy,"_ he groaned suddenly, and then sneezed again, barely managing to catch the plasma in his hand before it spattered her face. And then he was coughing again, vomiting more onto the ground beside them.

Juvia watched this all with concern. "There's so much...Juvia thinks he must have been influenced by a strong demon."

Lucy smoothed his hair back, gentle, and then glanced up with a sorrowful look, no words able to leave her lips.

And in that moment, her dark eyes watching the entire situation, Levy could have sworn she'd seen the desperate ghost in Lucy's arms.

* * *

Hours later found Lucy alone in the middle of her apartment, her possessions rearranged with the help of her friends. She had taken some medication that Wendy had stopped by with to help put off a massive migraine, and felt a bit happier as she looked to Natsu, who was trailing behind her hesitantly.

He was looking a bit better, though not back to normal. There were no longer openings in his flesh that leaked the plasma he still paused to gag on every now and then. The talons were going away, his hair spiked up though still rather dirty and matted. His clothes weren't so tattered, his eyes slowly returning to their original state.

He wasn't smiling as often as Lucy would have liked, but she managed to earn one when she turned to him and smiled brightly. "What do you think? Good enough for Happy?"

His voice was hoarse, but no longer that strange hiss he'd spoken in. "Yeah. Happy will like it."

"Good." Lucy thoughtfully tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, beaming at the fact that she could do so. Her hair was getting close to her shoulders. Nowhere near its original length, but long enough to start playing with. Humming, the young woman said, "I won't be able to drive for much longer...I'm going to have to ask Levy if she can start taking me to work, or if Gajeel or the others can pick me up…"

Natsu's smile vanished. He was quiet for a few moments, watching her, before he asked quietly, "They...they said that…"

"Yeah," she muttered. Her voice dropped. "What they said was true, Natsu. I said so myself, remember? Before you lost your mind?" She playfully pushed at him, and then went to the kitchen, her stomach reminding her that it was dinner time. "I'll bring Happy home tomorrow, to keep you company. He's hanging with Gajeel for the night."

He watched after her with an emotionless expression, and then took a shaky breath as he followed her, refusing to let her out of his sight. He watched in silence as she set to work on cooking something for herself, though it wasn't too much. Her appetite wasn't nearly as large as it had once been, he noticed when she grabbed only one egg instead of two, deciding on breakfast for dinner.

"Lucy," he said, "You need to eat more than just that...I could have eaten an entire freaking carton of eggs when I was alive."

She blinked at him, and then smiled brilliantly, just like he'd hoped.

And he returned it just barely, showing off a sliver of razor sharp fangs. It wasn't what Lucy had originally wanted to see, but it was better than nothing, and she showed her appreciation for his smile by humming and reaching out to grab his arm and tugging lightly, finding it strange that she felt the pressure of him - what might have been flesh. "Go sit down. I'll bring my food over and maybe we can watch some TV, okay?"

Natsu studied her for a second.

And then he yanked his arm away, a deep growl in his chest as the plate on the nearby counter suddenly slammed into the opposite wall, shattering on impact. Anger flashed across his face, and he bared those sharpened teeth. "Why?" he snarled. His voice was hoarse, thick with emotion that swirled and spread throughout the young blonde. She flinched away, instinctively hugging her arms with confusion.

"Why?" the poltergeist repeated angrily. "Why won't you freaking _hate_ me, Lucy? I...I was going to _kill_ you and everyone else, and you're all...acting normal, when I look like _this_!" He lunged forward, fingers harshly winding in her shirt and shaking her a bit, not looking the least bit confused about why he could do so. She looked slightly fearful for a moment before her expression calmed.

"Let go of me, please," she requested, and he released her with another growl - just a second before her hand cracked across his face, or at least tried to. He didn't feel the pain - in fact, her hand went right through his face, much to both of their disappointment. Lucy, because it wouldn't get her point across, and Natsu, because he wasn't truly there to feel it like he would have preferred. He simply uttered a soft apology.

"You asked why we aren't hating you, or wanting to exorcise you?" Lucy waved at him, looking slightly annoyed by the fact that he'd tried to do such a thing. "There you go. You know it was wrong, that you didn't truly want to turn into what you did. That's why, Natsu, and that's why we'll never hate you even if you have to be exorcised, because we know you would never willingly open your heart to those whispers. Have you heard them since?"

"A little," he admitted with a grumble. He glanced at her, and Lucy smiled gently, relieved to see a glint of onyx. "...Luce," he said suddenly, anger gone as fast as it had come. "You've been hiding something."

She paused. "I don't know what you're talking about," she muttered, hurrying back to the stove to fix her food.

He growled again, though he didn't dare touch her this time, not wanting to hurt her. "See? You're hiding something! Why?"

Lucy paused in messing with a spatula to take a deep breath. "First, I want to ask something of you. Depending on what you answer, I'll tell you, and even then, I'll probably tell you anyways, okay?"

He eyed her suspiciously, his sharpened teeth showing in his irritation. "What?"

"Natsu." She spun around to face him, leaning against the stove. "I want you to consider this as my dying wish, because we all know that I won't live for more than a year at the rate I'm going." She gave a dry smile, her eyes glinting with a flash of pain before hardening. "I want you to let me find out how you died. And I want your help in doing so. I don't think I'll be able to accept anything unless I know."

He didn't react as violently as she first thought. Instead, Natsu dropped to sit on the floor, staring at her in silence for a few moments, taking in the fact that she was wearing his scarf for the first time since she'd come home, his blank gaze never leaving her.

Finally, he spoke.

"Yeah." His voice trembled. "I've...I think I'd like you to figure it out. Because...I'm _tired_. I don't want to be like this anymore, Luce, I want to move on when you do. I don't want to be alone. Not anymore. I'll help you."

Her expression flashed with a look of relief, and she smiled brightly. Ecstatic now, the blonde whirled around eagerly to finish cooking. "Thank you," she said honestly without turning around. "I, err, got caught. When I was looking into you over social media and what not and we've kind of been watched by some official people that Erza's working with. Cobra and Cubellios. Then there's Jellal, who apparently found out that there was some kind of explosion here."

Natsu arched an eyebrow. "An explosion?"

"An explosion," she confirmed, thoughtful. "Jellal thinks that it's what killed you."

"That would explain a lot," he admitted. "My scarf and...this." He waved around them as he raised the temperature without care, and Lucy giggled.

"There's more to it," she murmured, pressing her lips together. Her dark eyes darkened further with wariness. "There's...Natsu, we think you were murdered. The blast wasn't an accident apparently. It was some kind of timer bomb. Something that went off on purpose to kill someone, perhaps even you because of a reason we don't know yet."

Natsu cocked his head to the side in curiosity at the idea. "Well I don't remember anything but the fact that it was dangerous, so…"

"They must have been after you then. I might be able to get more detailed information, I think. I mean, it's not like I'll be able to run around screaming information to the world." Lucy flipped her egg onto her plate, then added some things to it before snatching up a fork and turning to lean against the counter, plate in hand. She took a bite before speaking again.

"Your eyes," she hummed, and he looked up at her. "They're not so black anymore. I'm glad. Your eyes are much prettier than black."

He grinned, the sight slightly creepy due to sharpened teeth and a ridiculously large smile that was a bit too big for his face, but it was genuine, and something she appreciated. He hopped to his feet lightly, and then gently tugged on a short lock of her hair, making her smile brilliantly.

Warmth for the blonde swelled in his chest, and the last of the whispers vanished. He heard only his own thoughts as he affectionately touched her cheek before disappearing, deciding he wanted some alone time to wander around and think.

He'd try his damn hardest to help Lucy figure out what had happened so that he would be able to move on with her when she joined him in death.

As he'd told her, he was tired, really tired. Tired of not knowing what he was going to do next. Tired of hurting her. Tired of dealing with the whispers when they came around. Tired of being alone.

He was _tired_ , damn it.

The light at the end of the tunnel had never seemed so bright.

* * *

Days ticked by with a fast pace. Lucy met over and over again with Cobra and Cubellios, answering various questions under Erza's strict supervision. Jellal kept searching for information, too, determined to find something and even earning a threat of being fired from his job if he didn't stop being late from oversleeping.

Erza had found her wedding dress throughout all of the commotion with their help, and it had been when they were looking when she'd suggested the idea of a joint wedding to Juvia. Juvia had been confused until Erza had said quietly, in a voice that was hesitant and full of sadness, _"We...we don't know if Lucy will be around for that long, so...I thought we could do one. Just in case."_

Lucy had been touched, and had cried that night, making Natsu frantic as he practically hauled Levy over from her apartment to make her stop.

So it had been confirmed upon talking to their respective others. There would be a joint wedding within months, and Lucy would be the maid of honor for both of them. Lucy had felt guilty that Natsu wouldn't be able to come, but he'd shrugged, not caring about such simple matters.

The ghost himself had improved as time went on. His appearance slowly but surely returned to his original one, and it wasn't long before he was cheerfully practically bouncing off walls every time Lucy came back from the busy days at work. Gajeel often times brought her back after a near crash that had resulted from a massive migraine, leaving her no longer allowed to drive, grumbling all the way about the matter.

Natsu especially appreciated the fact that Lucy wore his scarf everywhere, keeping her promise on protecting it.

Every now and then he would gag and disappear to vomit up more plasma, or sometimes he'd accidently cough it up in the apartment, apologizing afterwards with a look of distress, but Lucy had reassured him that it was fine, only cleaning it up and burning it with care on the stove afterwards after learning what to do with it from Juvia.

It was on a rather peaceful day, where Lucy had called in sick after a nasty dizzy spell that had made her topple over and nearly strike her head on the kitchen counter, that she got a call from a number she didn't recognize.

She searched the room for Natsu, and then shrugged, deciding that he might have taken one of his rare breaks from her apartment and teasing her ever irritable cat to mess with someone else, and answered the phone with a thoughtful look, holding it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Yo," Cobra's familiar voice drawled in her ear and she scowled.

"What the hell," she grumbled, "You're only supposed to contact me through Erza. This is an invasion of my privacy, I'll have you know." She wasn't particularly fond of Cobra and his gruff attitude towards her ghost friend, but she put up with him for the most part.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up for a second, would ya? Got something I want ya to look at. But not supposed to show ya and Cubellios is gonna throw a fucking fit when she figures out that I did it. You're gonna get your ass to that place you used to work at in half an hour, you hear me? I don't care if ya have to walk."

Lucy was taken aback by his coarse words, but reluctantly said, "Okay…?"

"Good."

 _Click!_

He hung up and Lucy reluctantly climbed to her feet, calling, "Natsu?"

He appeared beside her in an instant, worried and looking into her dark eyes anxiously. "Yeah?"

Lucy beamed at him. "I have to go somewhere. Shouldn't be more than an hour or two. You going to be okay?"

He scoffed, a proud look flashing across his face as he snapped his fingers, and a chair zipped past them, spinning wildly as it rolled through the halls of the apartment. "I think I'll be fine, Luce, I've stayed home alone before."

Lucy arched an eyebrow when she heard the stove click on. "And you're like a three year old...I'll call Levy to check on you if she gets home before I do."

He pouted. "I'll behave," he grumbled, "Can I mess with the lady upstairs?"

"No peeping," she warned, knowing he'd do it anyways. "If all else fails, go keep that kid next door occupied, got it?"

Natsu made a face. "All the kid wants to do is babble on and on about his toys and that minivan that belongs to his parents because he thinks it's a "cool car"."

Lucy burst into a round of giggles, stifling them by covering her mouth with her hands. "Minivans are beyond cool, Natsu, just how long have you been in this place? Everyone has one now, they're kinda the thing everyone wants."

"Har har," he muttered, and then tugged on a lock of her hair. "Very funny. Be careful. You're not supposed to drive, I know you aren't."

"I'll see if I can get a ride back at least," she promised, beaming at him. "I need to know what Cobra wants, 'cause you know. It's strange that he's reaching out to me instead of Cubellios...apparently he isn't supposed to show me whatever it is, which makes me think he knows something a bit extra about what happened to you."

He gave a soft growl. "If it gets too dangerous, forget about it and come back. Let them deal with it."

"I can't do that," she sighed, tugging the scarf she wore away from her mouth. "But I'll make sure to tell you about everything he tells me." She didn't hesitate to kiss his cheek, smiling at the pressure on her lips before spinning on her heel to hunt down some flipflops, completely ignoring the huge grin that crossed his face and the purr-like sound that escaped his chest.

* * *

 _I'm back with some more Paranormal! Sorry about the wait, I wasn't feeling well last weekend and decided that taking a break would be a smart idea. Thank you for your patience! Thanks to reviewers (Dragondancer81, iBookKeeper, silver light of dawn, RunningWithTheRiptide, NanamiB, PinkFireandGoldenStars, missbehavin, MehKitty, CuteKitty264, AFallenAngel1221, SunflowerChrysalis, LoveTheMonster, shippinginjune, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, Alicia Trinidad, justeloverly, fanficlove2014, Guest, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, wolfygirl78, NaLu x Buckets, DQN828, NaluLuva23, and AyaRose!) as well as those who favorited and followed!  
_


	21. Chapter 21

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

Lucy arrived at the café long before Cobra did, and she paused to greet Mirajane and Yukino, who was working at the moment. Yukino had scolded her for coming when she wasn't supposed to drive and Lucy had flushed and reassured her that she was going to get a ride with someone else to go home.

A few regular customers greeted her as she found herself a table, and Lucy chatted with a smile, pushing the ache in her head to the back of her mind for the time being. A child greeted her with a flowery gift, and Lucy only laughed as she took it.

Eventually, Cobra finally showed up, and Lucy straightened, face immediately becoming serious. Arching an eyebrow as he dropped into the seat across from her, arms crossed and an annoyed look on his face, she said impatiently, "What do you want? I'm going to be in trouble with Levy and Erza for driving myself here."

"Titania can screw off," he muttered in response before digging in his pocket. "This."

He dropped a small file onto the table.

Reluctant to see whatever he'd brought - she had the feeling that she really wasn't going to like it - Lucy reached across to snatch it up, her fingers trembling. As she was sliding it open, she glanced around - and then paused at the sight of a rather nasty looking spirit that was staring in the window at them, dead gray tongue hanging out of its mouth.

She cleared her throat. "So you can see the dead, too?"

Cobra scowled, glancing over to look at it. He made a face. "Fucker."

"Children are in here," she chimed and then looked down at the file.

A startled sound left her lips and she dropped it onto the table, standing up quickly enough that the chair tipped back, earning several stares on their behalf. Cobra's hand snapped out to cover the pictures that she'd pulled out before anyone else could see them.

"Yeah, they're kinda bad, even for Cubellios," he muttered. "And she's seen some shit, let me tell you…"

Lucy reluctantly settled down again, her body shaking as she picked them up, fighting the urge to retch.

They were crime scene photos. The scene was sprinkled with ash and embers, smoke still drifting around those in the picture. There was a cop, his face smeared with black and his face grim as he looked over what Lucy recognized as none other than a corpse.

Or at least a portion of one.

One side of the body was gone. Pieces of a shoulder and what might have been a hip remained as well as a side of a charred head, but the rest was blown away, incinerated upon impact with the explosion, because Lucy knew exactly whose body she was looking at.

"Oh, Natsu," she whispered, her voice breaking and sympathy filling her.

 _It must have hurt so much…_

"Found 'em in a hidden file," Cobra told her as she switched to a picture of the demolished facial features. There weren't even eyes left in the body, she realized with horror.

"Did you...did they ever catch the one behind it?"

Cobra rested his elbows on the table. "That's the thing. There was never any sign of someone leaving the scene, or any trace outside of the bomb that was ever found. We think it was a suicide bombing. At least, the police do. Titania, Cubellios, and I...we think that the fucker walked away without so much as a scratch. They found nothing from his person on the scene, but there's always some kind of signature that psychos like this leave. So I went lookin' into stuff, right? And I figured out that the chemicals in the bomb are known for being used by one man in particular: a man by the name of Jude heartfilia." Cobra slid another file over, and Lucy opened it.

Lucy's gaze sharpened angrily. "My father didn't do it," she snapped angrily. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "He was a lot of things in the best moments, but he wasn't a murderer, Cobra."

"No," he agreed, "But his company did produce the chemicals and necessary ingredients for whoever did it. Cubellios didn't want you to know that he was involved, but I figured we should warn ya ahead of time. 'Sides. The man in charge now knows ya. You'll be a big help in the matter."

"Thank you for telling me," Lucy told him, sighing softly. "Quite the surprise, though…" She slid the files back over to him after readjusting everything and putting it away, taking another moment to study Natsu's body.

Her heart ached. "Poor Natsu," she repeated softly before shaking her aching head. She sat back in her seat as Cobra watched her face with care, curious about how she was responding to all of this.

Suddenly, his phone rang, and he answered without look at the caller ID. "Cobra," he greeted. A moment of silence, and then he sighed heavily. "Kinana, look, it was necessary - yes, I know that I could get into trouble for this, and yes, I am prepared to deal with the consequences that won't happen as long as we keep our mouths shut. No, she's not panicking. No, she's - woman, the hell are you talking about? She's not some little doll. She's dyin'. Doesn't mean she can't help us."

Lucy grimaced. Cobra was harsh and curt in his talking, though she knew he meant well. _Kinana, huh?_ she mused silently, her lips curving into a smile. So that was Cubellios' true name. It was a pretty name, one that matched her well.

"Yeah, yeah, see ya later." He uttered something under his breath to her, tone soft and gentle before hanging up, and Lucy smiled tauntingly.

"Does someone have a girlfriend?" she purred.

To her surprise, the detective actually took on a small blush, his eyes darting away. "Shut up, lady. Go and eat a piece of bread or something."

Lucy was still laughing when he walked out and a playful Yukino came over to nudge her with her hip and ask what that was all about.

Lucy only winked and asked if Yukino had a break, because she admittedly needed a ride home due to a nasty headache that was forming in between her eyes.

* * *

When Lucy had returned home, she was met by a sharp-eyed Levy and a guilty-looking Natsu. Lucy's dark eyes darted between the pair before she turned to Levy, who scolded her sharply for having left without getting a ride with someone. After that was said and done, she'd jerked her thumb in the direction of the poltergeist.

Apparently, Natsu had scared the hell out of the parents of the kid next door when he'd accidentally knocked over a picture frame while entertaining the child. With the parents in the room."

Natu gave a sheepish smile when Lucy moaned in frustration and buried her face in her hands. " _Natsu_!"

"Sorry," he mumbled, "I got bored and I didn't mean to...I left right away. Do you think they'll bring in an exorcist?"

Lucy repeated his question to their friend, who tapped her lower lip in thought. "If you leave them be, they shouldn't," Levy murmured thoughtfully, and then looked over at Lucy when Lucy turned to her. The blonde's dark eyes were serious - and pained. "Do you want some medicine? I can get it for you."

"It'll make me tired," Lucy said, waving her concern off. "I'll take it after I tell you why I had to go out. Cobra made a call." Levy's gaze snapped to hers and Natsu leaned forward, losing his smile, anxious. "It was about Natsu's case."

"Lucy," Levy cut in, horrified, her eyes shooting to the heated space beside them, but Lucy was quick to reassure her with a hesitant smile and admitted, "He wants to help. I asked him for permission and he agreed and told me what he could. Anyways, Cobra showed me the crime scene pictures."

There was a moment of silence before Natsu's face twisted into one of anger. "What the hell is he doing showing you those?!"

Lucy ignored him and said softly, "It was horrible. The explosion completely destroyed you, Natsu, you were missing pieces on your body. But that wasn't the worst of it." she tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and locked gazes with Levy. "Father was involved."

"Excuse me?" Levy sputtered, her eyes horrified. "Your…what?!"

"Jude Heartfilia," she said quietly. "His company was the one that produced the ingredients that made up the bomb that they found if the traces were anything to go by." She sighed heavily, glancing quickly at the quiet ghost.

Natsu took a moment. "Your...dad helped kill me?"

Recognizing the signs of a tantrum beginning to form in his eyes, Lucy hurried to say, "Natsu, we don't think he knew it. I think it was someone who was working under him who was behind it all. We just have to figure that out, and we may be able to find out who - _damn it_!" She suddenly cut off, pressing a hand to her head and throwing the other out when she nearly fell over.

The anger disappeared from Natsu's eyes almost instantly, and he moved over, gently touching her shoulder with a muttered, "Damn it. I hate this."

Levy simply disappeared into the kitchen, grabbing the medicine that Lucy would need before coming back. "Here," she murmured after grabbing the proper amount. Lucy dry swallowed the pills, giving Natsu a reassuring smile before staggering over to the couch with Levy's help. Once there, she curled up into a ball, holding her head and pressing it into her knees to try and rid herself of the pain.

Levy took a deep breath as she watched Lucy for a moment, unaware of the anxious poltergeist moving to protectively drape himself over the back of the couch, arms resting on her shoulder and chin on top of her head, glaring irritably at her. Natsu wanted Levy _out_. She was the one who'd caused the headache this time. Not Cobra.

A sound somewhat akin to a snarl left his lips when she simply stood there. _Get out, get out, GET OUT!_

Lucy didn't look up when books flew off of her bookshelf and clattered to the floor, startling Levy. "Natsu," she mumbled pleadingly, and he paused to look at her. "Not now, please. Leave her be."

"I want her out," he retorted, his onyx eyes not once leaving Levy.

"Levy's allowed to be in here. Leave her be," the blonde repeated. She closed her eyes and waved for Levy to do what needed to be done. "Do whatever you want in here, Levy-chan. Make something to eat or whatever. Ignore him. He's crabby."

"Lucy," he whined in her ear.

She ignored that and instead smiled when Levy returned her words with a shake of her head. "No, I can tell that he's not just crabby. He's needy today, I think. I'll head back to my own apartment. Natsu, call me if she needs anything, okay?"

Her response came in the form of two stomps on the floor, mostly because the poltergeist didn't want to move from his comfortable position. Lucy played with the scarf tassels as Levy smiled and bid them farewell before leaving the apartment. "This is my place, Natsu," she murmured, "You can't kick people out. She's worried."

"We're all worried," he bit back. "I said I'd take care of you though, so I will."

Her lips twisted into a sad smile. "I don't want to die," she mused suddenly. He glanced at her, worried. "I really don't. My mother lived to be old enough to have me before the cancer took her away. I wanted a child, too, a family. Guess I won't get that."

There was a heartbeat of silence, before she felt that pressuring grip tighten. "You don't need a child," he muttered to her. "Or a family. You have me."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh at his jealous tone. "I do," she agreed, "And I do have a family. Levy...Gajeel...Erza...Gray...all of them. They're all my family, you know? Blood isn't the only link. I love all of you." She touched a hand that had made its way around to her other shoulder, so that her head could rest back on the ghost's shoulder, and she gave a small sigh when he jumped, startled that her head didn't fall back onto the couch. Instead, it seemed to almost rest there against him. "And I think you and I will get to stay together. But I'll miss them. So please don't chase them away. Not anymore."

"I won't," he mumbled, promising her that. "I'll drag 'em in instead."

"Good ghost." Lucy giggled at her own words before closing her eyes to nap, exhausted as the medication began to kick in.

He simply remained there, not moving as she dozed off. His lips brushed against the top of her head, his eyes sharp as he protected her from what he could.

The tightness he'd felt in him when Levy had stressed him out disappeared as she slept, and he practically purred as he buried his face in _his_ scarf.

She was safe, he told himself.

And he'd made damn sure that she stayed that way.

* * *

When Lucy woke up, she was refreshed and ready to clean up her messy apartment. Natsu stalked along behind her, watching her with curious eyes as she moved like she hadn't just been brought down by a powerful migraine.

Natsu would admit that she was, by far, one of the strongest people he'd ever come across. What other person could deal with an illness like this and move on like it was nothing?

"Do you think," Lucy said as she was scooping up a few books, Happy purring and rubbing on her ankles, "That my father really had something to do with your murder, Natsu?"

Natsu paused, startled by her question, and then shrugged, folding his hands behind his head as she shoved the scarf out of the way of her face. "I do," he said honestly. "It feels right. I can kinda sense that he did have something to do with it, but I don't think he was aware of it, Luce."

"Good." Lucy bit her lip, glancing at him, and he watched her with sharp eyes, worried that she'd get another dizzy spell. "I was worried that you'd be upset if he was. I know he wasn't the best man in life, but I really don't think he was capable of murder."

"Nah." Natsu rocked back on his heels, smirking. "I mean, you might be, but doubt some crazy old man was."

"Natsu," she chided, rolling her eyes. But there was a smile on her face, and she looked relieved. Suddenly, she giggled, clapping her hands in excitement like a child. "Natsu, you didn't create any plasma in my apartment today! I bet that means you're completely normal again!"

A proud look crossed his face. "Oh, yeah! Forgot about that! Was gonna tell you, but the thing with the kid's parents happened and I kinda forgot…"

"Good job," she laughed, and then glanced over when there was a knock on the door. Natsu didn't look concerned, only reported that Juvia was there before slipping away to open the door for the young woman.

Juvia came bustling in, not at all concerned about the fact that a ghost had let her in. In fact, she said, "Thank you, Natsu, Juvia is grateful for letting her in. Excuse me now, though, Juvia wants to talk with Lucy about something - no, Juvia lied, Juvia needs you here, too."

Natsu closed the door and reappeared beside Lucy, glaring. "About what?"

It always surprised Lucy whenever Juvia spoke to him. She was so used to everyone else _not_ seeing him that she'd grown used to having to explain his words to everyone else, but Juvia didn't need explanations. She simply turned to face him and said, "Lucy has ghosts trailing after her."

"...huh?"

"Lucy," Juvia repeated, glancing at the equally as confused blonde, "Has ghosts chasing her. They're attracted by the scent of death that you're giving off. Ghosts can sense when people are dying and flock to them, trying to taint their souls."

Natsu scowled angrily at the thought, heat flaring dangerously around him. "They won't touch her," he snarled.

"No, Juvia knows they won't," Juvia promised soothingly. "Juvia just thought it needed to be explained. Lucy needs to know."

Lucy came to join her friend at the couch, frowning. "Explain then. I did notice that they kept appearing today...I didn't know why. Yukino hit one without even knowing it, and it scared the freaking hell out of me."

"Like Juvia said," Juvia sighed. She tucked some hair behind her ear and then glanced up from beneath her eyelashes. "Ghosts like the scent of dying people. They're attracted to the entire situation because they wish to taint the soul of the one that is dying. Depending on who the person is, they don't usually succeed, but for those of us who can see the dead, it's harder. Juvia knows that Natsu will protect Lucy, but Juvia needed to tell her."

"And I'm going to thank you a thousand times over for telling me that," Lucy told the other woman gratefully. She smiled kindly. "Because while a certain someone is a ghost himself, he knows absolutely nothing."

Juvia flushed proudly. "Juvia was thinking," she said after a moment, "That Juvia would like to have a career in paranormal investigations. Juvia was going to ask you if you'd join in, but...Juvia doesn't think that'll be possible now."

"Oh, that's a brilliant idea," Lucy praised, beaming. "You could help people or ghosts or even both! If the ghosts are able to be saved of course...and no, I guess I wouldn't be able to do anything for it...but…"

"Levy would do it with ya," Natsu cut in, eyes thoughtful. "She'd like it, I think. Interested in all that anyways. Erza, too."

"Do you think so?" Juvia said hopefully, excited by the idea.

"Definitely," Lucy agreed.

Juvia clapped excitedly, and then began to chat about the different ideas she had for such a thing, about setting it up and what they could call their team.

Lucy could only smile and offer suggestions, wishing she could join as well.

* * *

 _No joke, I'm barely awake right now. I hope you enjoyed! :D Thanks to reviewers (iBookKeeper, RunningWithTheRiptide, shippininjune, wolfygirl78, LoveTheMonster, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Doomcabbit, SunflowerChrysalis, ilftnatsu, Nanami B, sailorkitten22, Dragondancer81, NaLu x Buckets, HellsChaos, Sailor Tiamat, Guest, ultraviolet read, Alicia Trinidad, Justloverly, CaseyFlossy9697, AFallenAngel1221, PuckSabrinaDaphne, animechic12, and Nalu and InuKag!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	22. Chapter 22

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

The apartment was pitch black and silent when the crash came.

Lucy jolted out of her sleep, dazed and half-drugged from the medication she'd taken to rid her of the nasty headache that had sent her to bed early in the first place. She stumbled for the light, her foot barely off of the bed before something cold and chilling her to the bone grabbed her by the ankle and yanked it out from under her.

Lucy went down with a frightened scream, her mind too befuddled with sleep and terror and confusion to figure anything out. She slurred something out that she herself couldn't understand.

All she could see was what looked like thousands of sharp teeth suddenly in her face, and she stared dumbly at the soulless eyes that glared down into hers, her heart faltering in her chest at the sight of the decaying face. Her senses were overwhelmed, filled with the stench of death and rot as talons dug viciously into her shoulders and chest, tearing at the flesh and clothes there.

The spirit purred in her ear, " _Found you, found you, found you._ " It sang the words, as if it had found the greatest gem in the world. A limp gray tongue dragged up her cheek, tasting her, and it was in that moment that Lucy woke up entirely.

A shriek of "Na'su!" left her lips, her words slurred and leaving her uncertain of what she was saying. Her hands slipped weakly, shaking violently as she tried to push the ghost off of her as it cackled, trapping her half under the bed. A cry escaped her as the ghost lunged, cracked skin splitting and spattering her with something that burned her skin.

Suddenly, there was a vicious snarl, and Natsu was there, ripping it off of her. Lucy groaned weakly, blood leaking from wounds as she rolled onto her stomach, crawling away as quickly as she could only for the ghost to lunge past Natsu and drag her back by the ankle. Natsu slammed his foot over its wrist and Lucy flinched at the loud snap that filled the air.

He had snapped the creature's wrist into something less than bits, she was sure as she threw herself forward, slipping and stumbling, nearly cracking her head on a corner as she staggered through the doorway of her room. Her vision blurred, she groaned and caught herself on the wall for balance, her head spinning and swirling in her confusion.

Her foot caught as she opened the front door. Her gaze slowly moved down the hall. The lights flickered violently as she began to make her way towards Levy's, knowing that the other woman would be there.

Lucy was just about to knock when Levy's door opened, her sleepy hazel eyes confused as she realized that Lucy was there. "Lucy?" she yawned. "What's going on? I thought I - oh, my goodness! Is that blood?!" She dragged her friend into her apartment, horrified by the oozing wounds on Lucy's chest.

Lucy didn't have time to respond before she found herself on the couch, unable to figure out how she'd gotten there. Dazed, the blonde finally slurred out as Levy hurried to fetch things to tend to her wounds, "Na'su fightin' ghos' thing."

A pause before Levy took on an even more horrified look than before. "You took your medicine! Damn it! I'm going to call Juvia - no, Gajeel. Wait, Erza might be - ugh! Who should I call?"

Her answer was a simple one. "Na'su," she mumbled, smiling sleepily.

"...are you high or something?" Levy squinted at her before realization struck her. "You took your medicine before bed, didn't you? Ugh," she moaned. Levy took a deep breath to calm herself, straightening her thoughts before planting herself onto the couch beside her. The lights flickered, but neither seemed to notice.

"My head hurted," was Lucy's tired response, making Levy give a faint grin.

"I'm sure it did, Lu-chan," she murmured, reassuringly touching her arm. "Lift your shirt for me, would you? I want to clean the injuries, it's probably got something in it if the ghost left it...was it one you'd seen?"

Lucy nodded slowly, thoughtful. "Café window. Saw 'im while I was with Cobra."

"We'll have to start being more careful," Levy told her with a firm nod. "Juvia stopped by to tell me about the whole situation and ask if I wanted to help her out with her paranormal investigations." Lucy asked what she'd said, and Levy promised, "I said yes. Of course. I'll have to keep my jobs, because it won't pay money, but it'll be fun. Don't you think?"

"Wouldn't' know," Lucy sighed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. Levy's hands were gentle and deft as she tended to the injuries, deciding that they weren't bad enough to require some kind of bandaging so long as Lucy held still. As she got up to put the supplies away, Lucy curled up on the couch, falling asleep almost immediately.

"Lu-chan," Levy said anxiously, worried about her friend as she came back, swiping her hands. She grabbed a throw blanket and threw it over her. Lucy didn't so much as flinch, even when heat sweltered suddenly around the blonde. "Natsu?"

A single knock on the floor.

"Did you deal with it?"

Another knock.

"Good." Levy licked her lips thoughtfully before shoving her hands through her hair, untangling it carefully. "Are there more in the building tonight?" A pause as he knocked twice, and then she asked, "I can go back to bed? You'll watch her?" This time she received one knock, answering both questions, and Levy smiled gently. "Thank you, Natsu. See you in the morning."

She was unaware of the shaken man watching her leave the room. His onyx eyes were tired, exhausted, and he was crouched on the floor, guilt racing through him. Natsu had lied outright, and Levy would never know differently. He quite literally hissed, his teeth flashing in an animalistic way as he bared his teeth. The spirit that had begun to creep out of the shadows slinked away with a snarl.

They were everywhere, hidden in the dark and the shadows, waiting for their chance, and it told him something he really didn't want to learn.

Lucy was in pain. Dying, and he couldn't stop it.

But he could protect her. And he would, he decided, growling furiously when another tried to slip in behind them. His hands trembled, rage unlike any other filling him as he darted around the couch on his hands and knees to lash out, looking and acting somewhat like the other spirits as he fought viciously.

It was at times like this that he wished there was another spirit to haunt the place with him. One like him, anyways.

"Fuck off," he snarled furiously when it tried to reach past him, moaning. Its talons longed to skim across the sweet-smelling woman's ample flesh, to rip it from her bones -

Natsu returned to his place by her head, his teeth bared and his eyes flashing hatefully.

Natsu protected her all through the night, not once leaving her side.

* * *

The next morning found Lucy sitting at Levy's table, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and a cup of coffee in her hands. There were bags beneath her eyes, dark and shadowing, and her blonde hair stuck up at every odd angle. She licked her lips, and then said quietly, "Thanks, Levy. For helping me last night."

Levy gave her a bright grin, cradling her own mug. "No problem, Lucy. If you ever need my help like that, you let me know. Where's Natsu? He stayed with you all night."

"He left to look around when I woke up," Lucy explained. That had only been an hour or so ago. When the sun had been decently high in the sky. She cracked a yawn, and sat back, blinking a few times to wake herself up. "I'm sorry about it though. It's my fault that-"

"Nothing like that is your fault," Levy said firmly.

Lucy gave a shiver. "It licked me, I think, it was _disgusting_."

"What do they look like, anyways?" Levy asked, amused by the look on Lucy's face. She leaned on the table after sliding into a chair, dark eyes watching her. "The bad ghosts? Juvia said they're pretty horrific."

"Imagine...a corpse with fangs and claws walking around," Lucy said, struggling to explain. "And if they're particularly bad, they've got that plasma stuff you saw coming from them. When they grab you, you go cold all over, and their words are sort of convincing. Like if you listen, you'll be happy, even if you know you won't." She made a face. "Ugh. The tongue. Blegh."

Levy blinked. "Natsu doesn't look like that - right?"

She shook her head. "He looks as normal as you or I," she replied, and then bit her lip. "When he went a little nuts and started listening to the demon, he looked scarier than any of them though," she admitted. Her gaze softened. "But he was scared. Poor Natsu."

"...only we," Levy muttered suddenly with a laugh, "Could discuss a ghost in a rational way without mocking them."

"Never mock them," Lucy told her, reciting what Juvia had told them. "That just pisses them off and makes them want to come after you even more."

There was a knock on the front door suddenly, and both looked over as Gajeel's voice filled the air. "Oi! Shorty! Open up, I know the blondie's in there! Need to have a little chat with her!"

"Oh, no," Lucy moaned, hunkering down in her chair. "Kill me."

"Don't need to," Levy said, and then slapped a hand over her mouth. She looked horrified, but Lucy burst into giggles, slightly hysterical after her tiring adventure the night before and the medication left in her system.

"Go let him in," Lucy told her.

Levy climbed to her feet and reluctantly padded over to the door, opening it. Before her boyfriend could shove his way in, she warned, "Lucy had a bad night. She was attacked, and she had injuries, so be nice."

Gajeel grunted, and then ruffled her hair to distract her before pushing past. His crimson eyes were fierce as he locked onto Lucy and stomped over, hands on his hips as he snapped, "Look. I get it. Ya gotta thing goin' on with the ghost of the place, but shit, woman. One more complaint about the noise from your apartment and I'll either have to evict ya or lose my other residents."

Lucy flinched, guilt racing through her. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, messing with her fingers. "There was a ghost…" she trailed off, and then shook her head. She met his gaze evenly. "It won't happen again. Natsu won't make noise."

Levy scowled and came to smack on her boyfriend's arm, glaring up at him. "I told you! She was attacked last night while she was drugged with her medication!"

"And the other residents don't believe in that, Levy-chan," Lucy soothed. "It's fine. I've been thinking about starting to get rid of things anyways. So you guys don't have to do it when I'm dead."

There was silence.

"No," Levy said fiercely. "You won't be doing that. You're keeping everything-"

"Look," Lucy cut in angrily, silencing her. "I'm going to die, we don't need to beat around the bush. You guys don't have to act like I'm glass. I'm dying, it hurts, and I know it better than any of you. I want to get rid of some of my things, not all of them. Eventually, I won't be able to leave a bed or anything, so I'll need to stay with someone because I don't plan on keeling over in a hospital. I want to die here. Just in case things don't go like I want. So I can haunt the place with Natsu...or whatever."

"Shit, don't give me two poltergeists," Gajeel protested.

As Levy apologized and Lucy relaxed, sucking in a sharp breath to calm herself, he listened with sharp ears from where he was watching. He was hidden on top of the fridge, much like a misbehaving child, not wanting them to know he was there. He wanted to listen, see what was going on without having to answer endless questions Levy would fire his way.

It hurt him. To admit that Lucy was dying. But he was pleased with her determination to stay with him no matter what happened. She was far too good for him, but that only made the attraction even better and sweeter.

Natsu snorted softly when Lucy threw her hands in the air in exasperation. _Stupids. Do they think they'll beat her with their words?_

Lucy was like some kind of word ninja; _no one_ could beat her when it came to arguing.

Except maybe Erza.

He rested his cheek on his arm, mournful. He missed Gray, to be perfectly honest, but he missed Erza more. Erza had been the one to comfort him in her strange way when Igneel had first disappeared. She'd convinced him to room with Gray, to accept that Igneel wasn't coming back eventually and mourn while she did it.

He missed being alive.

Did Lucy know how lucky she was? Or Levy or Gajeel? Of course, Lucy's luck was gone, and she was going to join him eventually, but the others...they didn't seem to notice what they had. What he wouldn't give to be able to live like the rest of them.

 _Can you see me, Igneel?_ he suddenly thought bitterly. Natsu felt a flash of irritation. _You proud, you stupid old man? Look where leaving got me. Dead._

Suddenly, he realized that someone else was in the building, and he recognized them in an instant. A sound rumbled in his throat as the world blurred, his body repositioning itself beside Lucy. She glanced at him, and the others only looked in their direction, sensing the heat.

"Natsu?" Lucy questioned, glancing at him.

He only grumbled and glared at the door until there was a knock. Levy kicked her boyfriend's shin as she slid past him to open it, peering curiously at the person on the other side. "...bye," she muttered, and then slammed the door shut. The man wedged his foot in before the door could click, and the look on Gajeel's face became murderous.

"Let me in," he demanded.

"Move, woman," Gajeel ordered, pushing the small bookworm out of the way so that he could make an appearance to whoever was causing an issue. Gajeel squinted. "Ain't you the bunny girl's ex? Fuck off, I ain't dealing with that fuckin' drama in my building."

Lucy's eyes went wide and she was startled when the lights began to flicker, Natsu's teeth suddenly bared near her face as he growled. "I want him out." Natsu gritted out, furious. "Get him out. Now. I want him _out_."

"Sh, okay, we'll get him out," Lucy murmured.

"I just want to talk," the man tried to protest, but Levy silenced his argument. "Oh? Where were you last year when she was hit by a car, or before that, even? Two years since you've talked, right? And you even dare to show your face after the cheating you did… Get out of here. Or I'll claim invasion of privacy and send our friendly little poltergeist after you."

The man made one mistake there.

He snorted in disbelief, and Lucy moved to make her way over, a dizzy spell striking her but her eyes flashed with determination.

Natsu's already strained temper from the night before snapped, and there was a small pop as the lights blew out. He snarled angrily, a hand grabbing Lucy's shoulder and digging in hard enough to make her flinch. A bookshelf hit the floor, and the TV began to scream with static.

His entire being was filled with hatred towards this man as he demanded, "Out. Get _out_ of my complex, you bastard."

"Natsu," Lucy pleaded as someone next door shouted in surprise.

"He's gone," Levy's voice said from the darkness a few moments later. "Thanks, Natsu, I think you broke every light in the building."

He grunted as he began to calm down, simply draping himself over the blonde beside him. His chin rested on her head, his arms slung over her shoulders to trap her where she stood as he practically purred, "My pleasure."

Unable to move, Lucy accused, "Jerk."

He tugged gently at her hair.

"What was he doing here?" she mused suddenly. "I haven't seen him since the night I found him in my bed with another woman…" She trailed off, realization hitting her, and she went quiet, tears filling her eyes. "Ugh," she snarled. "The paper ran something on my illness recently, about how my wealthy self was sick. Bet he came looking for the money in the bank."

Gajeel sneered in disgust at that, reaching out to ruffle her hair reassuringly, but Natsu didn't feel like letting anyone else touch her and simply snapped his jaws, locking down on Gajeel's fingers.

There was a moment of silence as the skin split beneath sharpened teeth.

And then Gajeel was reeling back, blood dripping down his hand and slicking it with red. "What the _fuck_?!"

Levy, who'd opened the curtains to bring in some natural light, gave a gasp and hurried over to investigate. "Did you...Lucy-"

"Natsu!" Lucy wailed. "Did you seriously just bite Gajeel?! We _want_ to stay here, you know!"

He shrugged, hunching his shoulders and not looking at all bothered by what he'd done. "He was gonna touch you. I don't like when anyone touches you. Only I get to."

"You're a freaking _ass_ ," she seethed, punching him weakly on the arm. He didn't seem bothered whatsoever by it, instead sniffing and turning his face away. "Seriously, Natsu! He's not gonna rip me apart or anything, he was just being friendly! Damn it, I want you to stop the attitude!"

He pouted. "I don't like it though," he whined.

"I don't give a damn about what you do and don't like," she hissed, "If you do it again, I'm making Levy do the spell."

"Prayer," Levy sighed. "It's a prayer, Lu-chan."

"Whatever it is, it works." Lucy planted her hands on her hips as Natsu pouted at her. "Do you hear me? I will do it, Natsu. I love you to death, but damn it, I can't let you run around biting people! It's...weird."

He muttered some kind of thing and then suddenly smirked and blew a blast of heat in Gajeel's direction. Glaring, Lucy turned to her landlord and promised, "His version of an apology. Jeez, he got you good."

"You think?" he snarled, glowering at his bloodied hand. Levy soothingly patted his arm. "I think it needs fuckin' stitches. Shit, now I can't work. I'll have to do all of that stupid paperwork."

"What paperwork?" Lucy uttered, rolling her eyes. She'd done it all for him the day before, after all. Natsu disappeared after that, content to leave her with them. "I'll go with, if you want," she offered. "And I'll pay for it all. I don't need to hold onto the money anyways." A pause. "I need someone to take me to write a will. I can do that, can't I?"

"Lu-chan," Levy protested. Lucy ignored her and turned to Gajeel, pointing. "You. You'll take me to write a will. Or Jellal, because I know he'll be serious about it. Either way, I'm going to find a way to write a will."

"You don't need a will," Gajeel grunted. "We'll just deal with the stuff later."

"I want a will."

"No."

"Dammit, Gajeel, I want a will and you're going to take me to get one."

"No."

"...where's my phone. _Natsu_! What the hell did you do with my phone!" Lucy stormed off. Levy stared after her with a grimace on her face as she looked to her still bleeding boyfriend. He was scowling to himself, unhappy.

"I'll take her car keys," she promised him, and then left the apartment to do just that.

* * *

 _Sorry about not updating last week! I had family in town and didn't have the chance. Honestly, you guys are lucky I can update today, 'cause I have a fun little thing going on tonight. Lol. Thank you for your patience! Thanks to reviewers (Dragondancer81, HellsChaos, SunflowerChrysalis, LePengwen, wolfygirl78, Nanami B, MehKitty, Alicia Trinidad, NaluLuva23, Aya Rose, SecretWorld13, missbehavin, AFallenAngel1221, RunningWithTheRiptide, LoveTheMonster, Kinsutenekochan, maalikdb, allieflavored, ilftnatsu, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Guest, CuteKitty264, Justloverly, pucksabrinadaphne, FairyRains, Compucles, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, SmallLittleCagedBird, akamagerain, Jasmin King, and Typhlosion8!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	23. Chapter 23

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

It was going to be a bad day.

The bad days had come and go far more often than they used to, and they'd worsened. Lucy knew that she was losing weight from lack of appetite encouraging her to chow down, but she couldn't bring herself to eat, no matter how many times Natsu tried to throw food into her mouth at night.

Luckily, planning a double wedding with the help of Mirajane Strauss and the two brides themselves was a good distraction, and because she had work to do, Lucy hauled herself out of bed and forced herself to swallow the necessary amount of pills, even as Natsu ranted about how she needed to eat.

"I'm not hungry," she said simply when he complained.

"I don't care," was his stubborn response, narrowing his eyes. Books flew from their shelves in his irritation. Heat sweltered in the room. "You're going to eat, got it?"

"Natsu, I'm late," Lucy groaned. "Please? I'm asking nicely."

"You can go," the poltergeist retorted, "When you've eaten."

"Ugh." The blonde grabbed an apple and took a bite, not enjoying it one bit. "There. Happy? I'll eat it. Now move, or Mira will kill me. And she's the one person I don't want to be mad because Erza has _nothing_ on her temper. I should be back by six, but I think I may end up having to meet with Cobra and Cubellios, so no guarantees."

Natsu reluctantly hurried after her, not pleased at all but guessing that an apple was better than nothing. "Whatever. Don't be gone too late. Or Happy's mine."

"Leave the goddamn cat alone, Natsu," she warned before closing the door in his face. She locked it behind her and wasn't surprised when he reappeared behind her, not scaring her at all when she turned and found herself nose to nose with him. "You're not funny."

"I'm hilarious," he retorted.

"No, you're really not."

"Yes, I kind of am."

"Mhm, whatever you say." She ducked past him, this time glancing at her phone. Juvia was already waiting outside to pick her up and drive her, much to her relief. She'd understand that Natsu was being a nuisance.

Natsu stayed with her as far as he could, and simply watched her with a saddened look as she climbed into the car that Juvia was driving. The blonde paused, and then gave him a kind smile, waving.

"I'll see you later, Natsu," she promised.

"You better," he grumbled and then flicked his fingers in farewell before returning to the building to do whatever he did when she wasn't around.

Lucy guessed he'd gone to pester Levy again.

Or the kid next door.

"Hello, Lucy," Juvia said cheerfully. "Mira's waiting on us."

"I know," Lucy said, rolling the window down and tossing the apple out. Juvia frowned in disapproval before shifting gears and hitting the gas. They started forward, and Lucy yelped when an apple came flying perfectly through the window, nearly smacking her straight in the face.

Natsu glared at her viciously from the center of the parking lot. "Eat the apple, Lucy!" he shouted, his eyes just daring her to not do as he demanded She only responded by sticking her tongue out and throwing it right back out of the car, aiming for him.

"Lucy," Juvia chided, "You're wasting food, and you _should_ eat…"

"Ugh," Lucy uttered, rolling the window back up. "I'm not hungry though. Just the idea of eating makes me gag. I'll see if I can get a slice of Mira's cake down or something when we get there...think she'll let me special order a slice even though she's not selling them today?"

Juvia shook her head, blue locks falling around her shoulder before she scolded, "Lucy should eat healthy food. It'll make you feel better. But Juvia thinks that Mira-san might be willing to give you something else."

"And tea," Lucy mused, "I'll take some tea while we're there. Maybe coffee would be better though…"

The pair of women chatted about various things - including the research that Cobra, Cubellios, and Erza had been doing on the involvement of Jude Heartfilia in Natsu's death. They hadn't been able to connect much, but Cobra had - secretly - reported to the blonde that a name had been dragged out and that they were looking into a man by the name of Zancrow as well as a few others. He was concerned that it might have involved more than one person.

Lucy wondered just what the hell Natsu had been thinking when he got involved with such people.

When they arrived at the gorgeous café, Erza was already there, looking over a few magazines with Mirajane, who lifted her head when the familiar bell clicked. "Ah, hello, Lucy, Juvia!" she called, waving. Erza lifted her gaze at that and smiled faintly in greeting, her cheeks holding a dash of red.

"Where's Jellal?" Lucy asked as she settled beside the scarlet-haired woman, curious. "Everything alright?"

Erza's gaze softened. "He's off doing something again. He does it on occasion; flowers, jewelry, random things. He likes to purchase pretty things and give them to me. He said he was going to bring you something, too, since no one brings you anything nice."

Lucy flushed. "he doesn't have to do that," she protested, grumbling under her breath about nosy men. She snatched a magazine from her fingers and then arched an eyebrow. "Ooh, lingerie, Erza?"

Erza snatched the magazine back with a few sputtered words, and then looked up when Juvia giggled and asked Mirajane, "Could you get Lucy something to eat? She threw an apple out the window."

"Sure thing, a slice of strawberry cake for everyone coming right up," the silver-haired woman said with a wink, and then slid away, long hair fluttering behind her. She called her demand to her sister, who responded by going to gather needed plates and silverware.

"I don't want food," Lucy uttered without looking up, instead reaching for a book that Erza had brought, full to the brim of wedding dresses. "I'm fine, Juvia."

"And Natsu said you haven't eaten in nearly forty eight hours," she retorted, "Juvia will make damn sure that you eat, and if you won't, Juvia will call Gray-sama, and he will force you to because Juvia knows that Juvia is not strong enough to do it alone."

"...okay then," Erza mused, and then leaned over Lucy's shoulder to tap on a dress. "Look at that one, Lucy. What do you think? The style would show off Juvia's curves, don't you think?"

"Ooh, it would." Juvia peered over Lucy's shoulder as the blonde agreed, her eyes sparkling at the sight of it.

"Juvia likes it," Juvia agreed. She wrote down the information about the dress in a notepad she'd brought, her eyes thoughtful as she searched the same page.

Mirajane came back eventually, her hands laden with plates of strawberry cake. "Here we are," she hummed, placing them on the table carefully. She pushed Lucy's towards hers and then gave her a terrifying smile. "Eat, Lucy. Now."

"Yes, ma'am," Lucy agreed, grabbing the fork and shoving a large bite into her mouth, making a show of chewing and swallowing. She gagged a second later, but forced herself to keep it down when Erza frowned in concern.

"See? I'm eating. Hey, Lisanna, could you get me some tea?" she added over her shoulder, grateful that Levy's fellow librarian was helping her sister out for the day.

"Sure thing, Lucy!"

Lucy rocked back, resting her chin on an open palm, choosing to stay quiet when she realized she couldn't remember the word that she needed to respond. She struggled for a few moments before giving a delayed word of thanks.

No one said anything about it.

"Has anyone heard about how Wendy's doing lately?" Erza asked as she flipped the page, scribbling down a note. "I wanted to invite her and her friend to our weddings."

"I haven't heard from Wendy-chan since Natsu went nuts," Lucy replied, taking another bite of cake. "She was scared of the conversation, remember?"

Juvia hummed. "Rogue said that she'd come by the shop recently. Juvia can ask Gajeel if he's seen her and if he knows where we could find her."

Lucy eyed her curiously. "Since when have you become such good friends with Gajeel, Juvia?"

"Gajeel helped Gray-sama make Juvia's engagement ring, so Juvia wants to help around when Juvia can," Juvia explained happily, licking some frosting off of her finger. "And Gray-sama is a good lover when he is jealous."

"Okay, _way_ too much information, Juvia!" Lucy wailed, making a face of disgust. She shuddered as Erza chuckled and took her own cake to eat with starry eyes.

Lisanna soon came back with the young woman's tea, and smiled as she handed the teacup to the blonde. She watched in silence for a moment before touching her short silver hair and asking quietly, "L-Lucy-san, c-can I ask you…?"

"Speak, and hurry," Lucy told her, blowing at her tea. "My tea's going to get...chilly."

"You're turning into an encyclopedia," Erza informed her.

Lisanna smiled slightly and then asked, "I heard you mention an old friend of ours. Natsu?"

Lucy swore as the hot tea spilled onto her lap, hopping to her feet. Cheeks flushing, Lisanna darted away to grab some napkins, and Lucy made a face as she tried to not whimper at the heat. Natsu's heat was far more painful when he was angry - but this was on the inside of her thighs.

It hurt.

"Sorry!" Lisanna cried, and Juvia took a few napkins from her along with Mirajane to help her clean the tea off. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's find," Lucy cut her off. "It just surprised me. That's all. I heard that you and Natsu were friends…" She glanced pleadingly at Juvia, who had known Lisanna before she had, and Juvia simply gave her a look.

This was Lucy's work.

Lucy would deal with it.

Sighing, Lucy squared her shoulders and quite bluntly told Lisanna, aware that Mirajane was listening carefully, "Natsu's dead and his ghost has decided that the apartment complex Levy and I live in is where he wants to haunt." She poked at the scarf wrapped around her neck. "I saw you looking at this. We found it. It was his. I can see his ghost, too. Juvia does as well. Most of the time, not gonna lie, he pisses me off."

They stared at her, and then looked to Juvia when they couldn't believe what she'd said.

Juvia beamed. "What Lucy said."

"...okay," Mirajane mused, dropping into a chair. "That's...surprising." Sadness flashed across her face. "That's too bad...I remember that he was particularly fond of my Friday night specials…"

"He was," Erza agreed with a gentle chuckle. "He loved them."

Lisanna was quiet for a few moments, her arms wrapped around herself before she said quietly, "I...I see…" She smiled faintly, turning and bustling away to hide in a backroom. "Excuse me, I want to...I need to go check on the kitchen since Elfman's out today-"

Lucy flinched guiltily. "Sorry, Mira."

"No worries," she murmured. "I think it just surprised her. That's all. We all stopped grieving for him long ago, I think...hearing his name must have given her hope that had no business being there." She studied Lucy carefully. "So he's a ghost in your home? Are you serious? I've never really heard of a ghost there, I've been with you and Levy a few times."

"He's always messing something up," Lucy laughed faintly. She smiled gently as she looked down at her tea-stained lap, brushing it off. "He's a nuisance, but we love him there. He threw an apple at my face this morning."

"Lucy wouldn't eat," Juvia reported, rolling her eyes, and then leaned over Erza to point at something, fork in her mouth. "Juvia thinks Erza would look lovely in that."

Erza touched her scarlet hair thoughtfully. "Do you? I like it...write it down for me."

"I wasn't hungry," Lucy retorted, pouting as she took a bite of her cake. She chewed in silence, and then swallowed before telling Mirajane quietly, "I've been losing my appetite lately, that's all. I'm sure it'll come back."

"I hope so," she said anxiously, "You look so pale half the time, Lucy…"

"I'm…" A pause. Lucy sat there for a second, struggling. "Great," she finally said. "I'm feeling great."

"I'm sure, our lovely encyclopedia," Erza said drily. Her gaze was bright with worry for her friend. "If you're not feeling alright, we can postpone our meeting with Cobra and Cubellios later-"

"No," Lucy said firmly, "I want to know more about what they found on those people they said they'd look into." She smiled gently at her friend. "Don't worry about me, Erza, I'll just take a nap when we get home, okay? I promise." She stretched thoughtfully, and then leaned to point at something else, aware that she was being watched. "Look at this bouquet, Juvia."

No one was fooled.

* * *

"Will Lucy be back soon?"

It was the first time that Jellal had tried it, but he didn't really have anyone else to ask at the time. Levy was at the shop with Gajeel, working, and Lucy was out with his bride-to-be and their friends, organizing the wedding that would soon happen. So, that left him with one option.

He was already there, after all.

He received his answer speedily.

A sort of knock and a half, as if Natsu had stopped mid-knock, not certain. Jellal hadn't completely believed in the whole ordeal until he'd seen the plasma on the ground and all over Juvia, but now…

It was kind of hard to not believe after that.

"You don't know?"

This time he received a confident answer, a yes.

Jellal smiled slightly and then requested, "When she gets back, will you tell her something for me? Tell her to call me. Especially before she goes to visit with the two agents in charge of figuring out your murder. It's about it."

There was a small irritable blast of heat, and Jellal felt like an idiot as he reassured the empty air, "I'll tell the two of you at the same time. It's a lot of information that I found, and I don't want to have to repeat it twice. I'll be hanging around at a restaurant nearby, so tell her to call when she gets back?"

Another two knocks on the wall near his head, and Jellal flashed a quick grin of gratitude before turning away. "Thanks, Natsu. We'll try and solve your murder before Lucy's too far gone to do anything. I promise."

That received a softer warmth, as if Natsu was thanking him, and Jellal sent Erza a quick text, instructing her to stop by the complex with Lucy after they were done and before their meeting because he had things to say.

Jellal took out his papers to study them as he made his way down the street, narrowing his eyes.

There was a file for each person he'd looked into. And the two on top were the thickest and the most concerning. One was about a man by the name of Jackal, who'd possibly been a mastermind in the course of the explosion. He'd worked with the darker parts of Fiore for years, and was well known for his capabilities to make bombs - specifically from certain chemicals.

The other file was on Jude Heartfilia, and Jellal doubted that Lucy would appreciate what he'd found out, but Jellal didn't really think that it would be better to convince her to turn a blind eye on such a thing.

She needed to know.

Whether she wanted to or not.

* * *

Natsu was rather irritable when Jellal came in, yet he dealt with him in a pleasant manner, because he knew that Jellal wasn't an aggressive or annoying man. Jellal was always calm, something that was nice when Lucy was screeching at him with Levy, or Gajeel and Erza were demanding that he stop being annoying.

Giving a tongue-curling yawn, wishing that sleep was something he could do, Natsu returned his attention to the child that was giggling before him. A slight smile crossed his face as he knelt beside him, cackling. "What's that?" he said in a mockingly angry voice, grinning to show the child he wasn't angry. "You crashed my truck?"

The boy laughed loudly, the sound bubbling and contagious. "Sorry, Natsu," he said happily. "My car went out of control!"

Natsu snorted in disbelief as he set the truck upright again, grinning. "No worries, Romeo," he told the seven year old. "Crazy drivers, eh?"

"Yeah," he agreed.

Both paused when the father appeared, peeking into the room with curiosity. "Who are you talking to, Romeo?"

"Natsu," Romeo answered pleasantly, and Natsu snickered when the father only sighed and shook his head before exiting, closing the door behind him. Children were sensitive to supernatural entities, and while the worse off ghosts, who were out to possess and hurt them, dealt harm, he liked to occupy them. He helped the stressed out and tired single mother upstairs, the grumpy father downstairs, who often times shouted and bellowed at his wife over their shouting and wailing son. The family a few doors down didn't seem to mind him either, and Natsu thought that the wife - a woman by the name of Bisca Connell - could see him and told her husband that it was fine.

He liked to play with Romeo though. Romeo was a good kid, his single father exhausted from working all day and fighting to make enough to pay with bills. He tried hard, and Natsu was appreciative of that.

"How's Lucy-san?" Romeo asked as he scooted the car over the floor, humming.

"Good. Lucy's good. She has headaches, but they're not that bad," Natsu lied. He rolled the truck over the floor for Romeo, smiling to himself when Romeo beamed in glee. "She's helpin' out with a wedding."

"I like Lucy-san," Romeo mused, cocking his head. "She's fun. She watched me once for my dad, and she let me have a bunch of popcorn when we watched a movie."

That had been before Natsu had begun to pester the blonde. He remembered watching curiously from the shadows, angry that someone else was in his apartment. He'd began to mess with her not too long after, feeling affection for the sarcastic woman who grumbled every time she discovered a picture frame shattered.

"Dad said Lucy-san was sick." Romeo was quiet. "And that she wasn't going to live as long as I will."

Natsu's eyes softened. "I...she's not. She's sick." He took a deep breath, removing his hand from the truck. "I'm going to miss her. But I think she'll be like me if she tries, so I'm hoping…"

"That she stays? I think that'd be good for you, Natsu," Romeo replied.

Natsu smiled as he studied the dark-eyed child's happy look.

"Me, too."

* * *

 _Nothin' too big happening this chapter, eh? :D_

 _Thanks to reviewers (SunflowerChrysalis, Kinsutenekochan, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Nanami B, RunningWithTheRiptide, AFallenAgnel1221, LePengwen, OwlChaser113, akamagerain, MehKitty, Gir276, cookie panda-roo, FairyRains, NaLu and InuKag, PinkFireandGoldenStars, AliciaTrinidad, Dragondancer81, LoveTheMonster, wolfygirl78, MagicalUnicorn03, Aya Rose, Angry Paradoz, MissExtremis, Missmistle, Mechancial-Rose-Sama, and Ksqu4rd!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	24. Chapter 24

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

It was near afternoon that Lucy finally made it home, where Natsu instructed her to call Jellal before proceeding to shove fruit into her mouth. It was the sight Jellal came across when he arrived, and was amused by the fact that to him, who wasn't seeing the ghost, she was just fighting flying fruit.

Clearing his throat after letting himself in, Jellal smiled gently at Lucy. "Hello, Lucy. I apologize for catching you right after you finished helping the women out, but…" He lifted some files. "I have some information on Natsu's case. And as long as he doesn't screw with them - I need to give them to Erza, who can give them to Cubellios and Cobra when we're done - he can stay and listen, too."

"Got it, Natsu?" Lucy questioned, turning to glare at a heated spot that had gotten closer within seconds. She gave Jellal a nod a second later when she got the answer she wanted, and all of them went over to the couch to sit and look through files there.

Lucy explained to Jellal that Natsu had simply leaned over the couch and that he could sit, and he thanked her before brandishing the first file. "Jackal," he explained. "A companion of Zancrow's. They don't do much other than work together. Or they did until Jackal mysteriously disappeared a couple years back. He and a few other black names in the area left for Crocus. More money there for their, uh, rather dark ideas. He's known for his ability to create explosives, and specifically out of certain chemicals that Zancrow was good at getting."

Lucy studied the picture of Jackal and made a face. "He looks psychotic."

Jellal smiled drily. "Well, he escaped a modern asylum with all of its security, so I would think so."

Lucy shivered, not wanting to know why Natsu was involved with such people, and then waved for the next file. She reported that the poltergeist didn't remember anything of a man named Jackal, only that he looked like something that Lucy flushed red at and wouldn't say.

"Zancrow, pretty similar to Jackal," Jellal explained. His dark eyes were thoughtful as he slid the file to her. "He's more of an arsonist though. He likes the job from what I've heard. Arrested recently - so we won't dwell too much on him. He's the one who gave Jackal chemicals to work with, which he got under…"

His gaze met hers.

"Jude Heartfilia," he finished, gently pressing the file into her suddenly nervous hands. Natsu must have fell silent, or muttered something reassuring to her, because she gave a faint smile before opening it.

Gentle, Jellal repeated the information that he'd embedded into his memory. "Head of the company that supplied the chemicals that might have been involved. Jude's workers weren't aware - he was. As he's deceased, no one can know for sure unless we can talk to his ghost like you talk to Natsu." He smiled tightly. "It's believed that he willingly gave the chemicals up and even helped keep officials away from the situation. He assisted in covering it up, giving him a good rep with the police afterwards. To sum it up, Natsu pissed off some rather nasty people."

Lucy studied her father's picture for a moment, and then made a sound of disgust, shoving the folder back at him. Her eyes were filled with tears and the heat that filled the room told Jellal that Natsu was angry with him.

Not surprising, of course.

Natsu was angry with everything.

Holding a hand up to show that he wasn't finished, Jellal organized the folders and spoke quietly. "Once I give these to Erza, she'll turn them over to Cobra and Cubellios, who luckily won't be able to ask where I got them. And neither should you, Lucy, unless you want to end up like Natsu, because not all of my contacts are at all friendly. Anyways, continuing on...I found a connection with Natsu. Natsu, did you or did you not have a particular fondness for being willing to do anything for information on Igneel's whereabouts?"

"He did," Lucy answered after a moment, tapping her lip. "He says that he was willing to try anything to find his father."

Jellal gave a snort. "Well, he did. Turns out Natsu might have been involved in a drug bust. By accident. And he upset the wrong people if he was."

"Oh, my-" Lucy couldn't help it. Despite the seriousness of the situation and what they were discussing, she roared with laughter, doubling over and clutching her stomach. "You screwed up and helped the police by accident! Oh my gosh, Natsu, of all the things you could have done you accidentally cracked a drug dealing!"

Unseen by Jellal, the poltergeist snickered proudly and jerked his thumb towards his chest. "Damn straight I helped in a drug bust!"

"I said _maybe_ ," Jellal insisted to Lucy. "I didn't say for certain. It's something all were deeply involved in. Not all of your wealth came from the legal side of things, Lucy, it rarely does."

Lucy simply smile faintly. "Well it won't be my wealth for much longer. Don't tell Levy or anyone else, but I split it up amongst them in my will. I have no family, no aunts or grandfathers or cousins. So I split it up for you guys. Levy got a good fifty grand by herself. I think I set aside seventy five for Erza, to help pay for the wedding? I still have about a hundred grand in the bank to pay for my hospital expenses, I know it'll start getting expensive soon, but once that's been dealt with, the rest is forked out to charity…"

"Holy shit, Lucy, you're freaking _rich_ ," Natsu said in shock, earning a grin on her part.

Jellal stared in shock at her. "Lucy...that's a ridiculous amount of money-"

"Not really, I took some off of yours to give to Erza, so you're getting about twenty five grand." Lucy beamed, as if the amount was nothing, and then winced, touching her temple. "Sorry, I haven't been feeling very well at all today...have a major headache…"

Jellal frowned. "Then you should get some sleep, Lucy, it's not good for you to not sleep when you need it. That's all I had to tell you anyways." He stood and smiled gently as he set his folders aside. "Here, I'll get you some tea before I go...Erza said that you were interested in trying what I make, anyways…"

Lucy gave a giggle. "Thanks, Jellal. See, Natsu? Jellal's a god in his own right. He makes tea." She and Natsu had argued about Erza's choice in husband for a short week earlier in the day, when Erza had been upset about something minor. Natsu had said that if anyone made Erza cry, they didn't deserve her.

Even when Lucy had tried to tell him that he was merely stressed about their wedding, which was within a month.

Lucy rested her head back against the couch, closing her eyes as Natsu leaned over her, face only a breath away as he watched her anxiously with wide onyx eyes, worried.

 _I wish I could get married._

* * *

Evening came, and Lucy immediately noticed that Natsu began to get a bit more aggressive than normal, sticking inches away and glaring at everything that moved near her. He onyx eyes were vicious and there was constantly a growl in his throat. "Natsu?" she finally sighed, carefully pulling a brush through her short hair. "What are you doing?"

"Watching." He had perched himself on the edge of her bed and was staring at her in a way that freaked her out just a bit. "You've started to attract ghosts, Lucy. They show up and try to snatch at ya when you're sleeping, so I keep 'em away. They know you're weak, so they try to take advantage. But I won't let 'em."

Lucy smiled, putting her brush aside and patting his knee as she passed him to grab a glass of water from her dresser, pills already in hand. "Well thank you then, Natsu, I'll trust you to protect me from the mean ghosts."

Natsu grinned at her, and then eyed the scarf she'd left on her bed. She pretended not to see him reach out and brush his fingers over it, unable to feel the strange texture, but able to put pressure against it. Taking her pill, she set the glass back down, and then scrambled into bed, curling up with a slight grin. Natsu rolled his eyes and squirmed a bit, the lights snapping off at his command.

It wasn't long before she'd passed out, and his job began.

The first one came from under her bed. He snarled at it, dropping his body harshly onto its back and feeling the crunch of bone despite the fact that they were both dead. It screamed in rage filled shrieks, and Natsu glanced back to make sure Lucy was still out cold. She didn't wake without serious urging when she took her medicine. Something he was grateful for.

The ghost vanished. It wouldn't be back for the next few evenings.

Natsu did this for hours and hours, waiting impatiently for the sun to come up. Usually, the sun kept them away from the apartments, the longing for heat pulling them in.

Which meant winter sucked more than any other season.

It seemed like forever before the sunrise crept through the windows and the ghosts began to disappear on their own, heading outside to try and regain the heat they'd lost in death. He made sure to keep his own heat down, refusing to convince them that this was a good place to stay.

Eventually, they stopped all together and he groaned in relief, falling onto the bed with his arms thrown out, his fingertips brushing Lucy's arm gently and feeling the pressure of her skin. She was breathing softly, snoring quietly. Her eyes darted beneath her eyelids as he watched, following dreams, and Natsu squirmed.

Lucy was many things, if not someone he cared for deeply. Everyone had thought him clueless, but he knew how relationships worked, and people had described attraction, the eagerness to be with someone and tell them that they were loved every second of the day.

And he knew the facts. Lucy was someone he loved. Lucy was his, of course, the darker side of him had decided long ago. And her death was painful, but something he could deal with because he wasn't sure if she _wouldn't_ still be with him!  
As for the attraction…

Well. Natsu wasn't all that clueless when it came to physical attraction. And even if he was now a poltergeist, she was _very_ pretty.

It seemed like ages before she began to stir, and Natsu knew that it was her illness making her sleep for so long. Once, she'd slept for short amounts of time before getting up at nearly five in the morning, okay with some coffee, even on days off.

Now it was almost time for lunch, and she was still sleeping.

But he didn't wake her, letting her do it by herself like she liked to do.

He knew that she hated when he woke her up because it showed that she wasn't able to wake up early on her own anymore. She liked to pretend that she was purposely waking up later. She mumbled sleepily as she opened her eyes and Natsu made sure that he was simply sitting there with his legs folded, watching her with a smirk on his face, as if he knew something she didn't.

"What are you smiling about," she mumbled, rubbing at her eyes sleepily. She rolled onto her back, remaining there so that she could be comfortable for a bit longer. "It scares me when you smile like that."

He pouted. "I didn't do anything this time," Natsu told her firmly. "I kept Romeo busy last night while you were out, that's all. Nobody texted you by the way. I checked. I think they were letting you sleep."

"I appreciate that," Lucy told him. The blonde swiped some hair from her face and then closed her eyes again. "Natsu?" He looked to her expectantly, waiting for her to continue, and she did. "My head hurt, even after I took all of the medicine last night. It doesn't go away anymore."

His onyx eyes darkened for a moment before he hung his head in silence. They stayed that way for a few moments before she sighed. "I should make it to the wedding, right? I don't care after that."

"You should care," Natsu snapped, and she frowned at his tone. "Lucy, being like I am sucks! It's not fun! You shouldn't be looking forward to die...besides, I know you might not stay. They try to coax you to the other side. It's hard to ignore it. And I don't like that you want to stay here and be a ghost. I hate it. I wish I wasn't."

She just barely opened her eyes. "I know. I get it. I'm not blind, Natsu, I know it sucks. Life sucks, too. At least you don't feel pain."

"Physically. It's hard to stay good when there's always whispers," he said bitterly. He hopped to his feet, climbing off the bed with ease. "I've always had them, Luce. Not just when you found out you were sick. I don't think that's normal. So don't piss me off when you die; move on, got it?"

"We'll see," was all Lucy said before climbing out of the bed herself, passing him to get to the kitchen, where her coffee awaited.

Natsu was grouchily digging through things in her closet, looking to piss her off, when the scream came. He dropped everything and bolted, disappearing and reappearing beside her with his teeth bared inhumanly. Lucy was staring in shock at the space before her, unable to comprehend what she was looking at.

A woman sat at on the table, her gaze locked mournfully on the untouched glass of wine in front of her. Dark hair fell around her toned shoulders, though a smile flickered across her face when Happy, who sat beneath her, mewed curiously and twitched his tail. She dropped a hand to brush her fingers over his back, murmuring something they didn't hear, and then looked up.

The crooked grin that flashed across her face confused both of them. "Yo," she greeted with a drunken-sounding laugh, raising a hand in greeting. "I heard that you guys are ghost-friendly?"

* * *

Gajeel was in the middle of investigating a piece of machinery that Rogue had been using when his phone began to ring. The man himself stood nearby, watching with impatience as Gajeel ignored it. "I don't know what happened," he huffed. "It just...stopped."

"That's stupid." Gajeel slammed a hand against the machine, and then grinned when it started again.

His phone started ringing again, too.

Leaving Rogue to work, he swiped his oil-stained hands on his jeans and answered, leaving the area so he'd be able to hear. "The hell do you want?"

He felt a bit bad about his attitude a second later when Lucy's voice said hesitantly, nervous, "Um, sorry if I interrupted anything…"

Gajeel grunted, arching a pierced brow before leaning against the counter, where Levy was contently working, scanning through paperwork. She glanced up when he said, "Tch. Nothin' big, blondie. Rogue broke machines again. Anything broken by that bastard?"

"No, actually, that's a thing I'd never think I'd say. Natsu didn't break anything."

"Really. Then what are ya callin' for?"

"...we may or may _not_ have acquired a new poltergeist."

The phone snapped in his hand and the line went dead. He swore, throwing it and lunged for Levy's, but she was already yanking it out of his reach. She dialed Lucy's number and waited until the blonde had answered before asking, "What's Gajeel throwing a fit about?"

"There's, um, another ghost like Natsu in here apparently. Her name's Cana. She...she says that she's following this new person around, and he was checking in on the apartment to see if he could move in yet. But she came up because she sensed Natsu, and I think she's trying to drink my alcohol. Natsu's been trying to get her out, but she won't...leave."

"...we have another friendly ghost?" Levy ignored Gajeel's desperate attempt to reach for her phone and stared straight ahead in shock. "She's...she hasn't tried to hurt anyone?"

"No. She's just pouring my alcohol into glasses and trying to make me drink it- hey!" Lucy's voice suddenly rose. "Natsu, stop her, that's my expensive stuff! I was going to give it as a bridal gift to Erza! She already knows it, too, we can't let her touch it!"

Levy shuddered at the thought and then soothed, "Calm down, Lu-chan. Let's see...as long as she's not destroying anything, it should be fine...I'll call Juvia and send her over to help out. Juvia's good with this stuff, you know she is."

"Right," Lucy said with a shaky sigh, sounding in pain. "Sorry, I just...I don't want to deal with stuff like this right now. My headache won't go away and it's making it worse...I might take up the offer and just drink everything she hands me…"

Levy smiled gently. "Don't do that. You have things to do later. Keep an eye on her. I'm calling Juvia. Bye." She hung up and then glared at Gajeel when he glared at her. "Leave her be, she's trying her best to deal with it. It's not every day that some random ghost shows up and isn't trying to kill her."

"I ain't likin' that there's a gathering of ghosts at my building," he retorted.

"They'll always be there, although Cana seems to be okay. She doesn't want to break anything, apparently, she just kind of...pours alcohol into glasses and leaves it there."

"Alcoholic," Gajeel grunted.

"Probably. I'm calling Juvia now, so shush!" She raised the phone back to her ear after dialing Juvia's number and waited. There was a few moments before she answered, and Levy wanted to groan at the sniffling and whimpering on the other end. "Juvia? What's wrong?"

Gajeel straightened. "The fuck is wrong with her? Who did it? I'll beat their face in."

"N-nothing's _wrong_ ," Juvia whispered. "J-Juvia just...Juvia just found out - ah, Gray-sama -"

"Levy," he said, sounding terrified. "What the hell do I do? I'm not ready to do this yet, we, uh, don't have anything yet, we're still in an apartment-"

"What? Gray, what's going on?"

A brief moment.

And then-

"So...Juvia's pregnant. Just how free are you and Lucy right now?"

* * *

 _So many things! Gruvia child! Cana! Possible leads on Natsu's death! Ah!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (LoveTheMonster, ShortAsVegeta, cookie panda-roo, MehKitty, Aya Rose, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Guest #1, Sunflower Chrysalis, Typhlosion8, AFallenAngel1221, Ksqu4rd, wolfygirl78, OwlChaser113, Nanami B, guest account, allieflavored, Gir276, NaLu x Buckets, FairyRains, ilftnatsu, Guest #2, ToastedWeirdBrain, Dragondancer81, fanficlove2014, Guest #3, Estella Hughes, Alicia Trinidad, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Panda, and Mechanical-Rose-Sama!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	25. Chapter 25

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

"You're pissing me off."

Lucy snorted, listening to Natsu say such a thing as if it was a warning. He was glaring from his place behind the couch at the other ghost, who was seated on the floor with a couple glasses of expensive wine around her. He'd draped himself over the back, resting his chin on Lucy's shoulder and leaning his head against hers with a dark look in his eyes.

Cana - she'd given her full name with a laugh, Cana Alberona - rolled her dark eyes and mocked, "Not like I have anywhere else to go. Old man downstairs is still here."

Natsu made a sound in the back of his throat, frustrated, but Lucy stopped him with a stifled laugh. She liked Cana despite the fact that the dark-haired poltergeist had wasted all of her alcohol. She wasn't a bad ghost - not like the ones that Lucy knew showed up in the night.

"Besides," Cana continued, pointing at Lucy. "I like her. I might hang out here a while."

"This is my apartment," Natsu snapped, "Get out already."

"Natsu," Lucy protested, but he only scowled in frustration and disappeared. She supposed he was going to pester the couple a few doors down and shook her head before turning her attention completely on Cana. "So a friend of mine will be coming. If that's alright."

Cana cocked her head. "...so you know someone else who can see us? What are ya, a medium? I mean, I screwed around with this psychic lady my dad was messing around with, but-"

"...you're haunting your dad?" Lucy frowned, confused, and Cana only grinned, flashing straight white teeth.

"Yeah. I don't know why. Can't...move on or whatever, but I felt bad for him, so I stuck near. S'funny when I dump something on the floor and he has to pick it up." Cana hummed for a moment, lost in thought and then admitted, "I was killed in a car crash, apparently. Heard him and another person talking about it once. I drove drunk a lot...kinda regret it now. The other person was okay though, so there's that."

Lucy blinked, startled. "You know how you died? Natsu doesn't remember anything." She paused. "Well, we think he was blown up suddenly, so I guess that would explain a lot…"

The alcoholic spirit snorted and told her, "That'll do it."

"Apparently," Lucy uttered, and then stood when there was a knock on the door. "Excuse me - _shit_." She hit the ground when the world spun around her, stunned as she lay half on her side for a few moments. Juvia's shaky and concerned voice called from behind the door, and Lucy swore again, pleading for Cana to get the door for her.

Juvia hurried in when the startled woman had done what Lucy had asked. Gray ducked in behind her, both looking fairy tired from whatever they'd been up late doing, and Lucy greeted them both with a soft laugh from where she was resting. "Uh, hi."

"Lucy!" Juvia gasped, rushing over to help her up. Cana watched curiously from beside the open door as the blue-haired woman assisted her in getting onto the couch. "You shouldn't be running around," she scolded.

Lucy smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I've been having a rough day. Jellal found some more on Natsu's situation, new ghost, the likes."

Juvia turned to face Cana immediately, studying the ghost thoughtfully, and Cana jerked her head in surprise. "You can see me, too?"

"Of course Juvia sees you, Juvia sees a lot of ghosts. Juvia doesn't often see one like Natsu though. Juvia thought they were rarer." She squinted at the brunette. "...do you hear voices sometimes?"

Cana took a moment to answer, confused. "Uh...not really. When I'm really pissed off, a bit, but not usually. Usually I kind of just talk to myself, I guess?"

"Interesting," Juvia murmured, thoughtfully twirling a lock of blue hair around her finger. She then turned to Gray, who had come over and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, frowning thoughtfully. He tugged at his shirt's collar and finally spoke.

"Okay, so I don't see anything," he told them, "But there's _another_ poltergeist?"

"Yeah." Lucy smiled tiredly, curling up with her cheek pressed against her couch. "Cana's cool though. I like her."

"Aw," Cana cooed, "Love ya, too, babe."

"...I take it back," Lucy moaned, burying her face in the couch with a sudden curse. Her nails dug into the material, her body tensing, and Juvia left Gray's side to come and touch her shoulder.

"Lucy?" she asked softly.

"My head," Lucy mumbled, trembling. A choked sound left her mouth. "It _hurts_."

Gray leaned over the back of the couch to press the back of his hand against her forehead, as if seeking a fever. "You're kinda warm, Lucy…did you take some medicine this morning?"

"More than I was supposed to because it won't stop," she managed to mumble.

"You should go to the hospital." Cana spoke from where she'd come to stand nearby, watching with curious eyes. "I mean, the other guy - the one with pink hair - said you were sick, right? Don't they let you walk in if you're bad enough?"

"Lucy has a brain tumor," Juvia explained, "But Cana-san's right. Lucy, you should go to the hospital. Juvia can drive you-"

"I'll do it," Gray cut in. "You have some other things to do with Erza, remember? Where's your keys, Lucy?"

"I don't want to go to the hospital, they'll make me stay there." Lucy hid her face between the cushions, as if hoping that would help. Juvia soothingly stroked her blonde hair back, trying to help in whatever way she could.

"You have to," Gray decided as he found her keys nearby, twirling them expertly around his finger. "My orders. Where's Natsu? He hanging around?"

"No," Juvia replied, "Natsu's not here right now. Cana-san, did he get upset with you?"

Cana shrugged. "Yeah, but whatever. He'll come around again I'm sure. Not like he's going anywhere. I doubt he's attached to a person like I am. He's stuck to the place, right?"

"Mhm," Juvia hummed. She dragged Lucy to her feet, letting Lucy lean on her when she gagged, a dizzy spell coming over her once more. "Lucy's having a bad day," she muttered, and then ordered, "Cana-san, please tell Natsu that Lucy is going to the hospital. He gets mad when Lucy doesn't tell him where she's going."

"Uh, sure thing." Cana hesitated. "...she'll be okay, right? I didn't set off the moment?"

Juvia beamed. "No," she promised. Cana looked relieved and disappeared after that, probably to do as she'd been asked. Juvia liked the spirit, she decided, and then gently grasped Lucy's shoulders and guided her out of the apartment. Gray locked the door behind them, and together the engaged couple led Lucy from the building, determined to get her to the hospital.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Erza stared harshly at Cobra with a dark look on her face. She'd gone as white as a ghost - or what most expected ghosts to look like. "You're absolutely positive that that's what happened? Why would it be like that? Wasn't there anything else?"

He and Cubellios exchanged a look before he grunted, "Why the hell would we need to lie about it, Titania? Figured the girl deserved to know. She's dying, ain't she?"

"Erik," Cubellios hissed under her breath, elbowing him as hard as she could in the ribs. He grunted in pain and then glared at her for doing so. She ignored the look and turned her gaze back on Erza. "But he's got a point. Despite our boss' demand that we keep it under wraps, both Cobra and I thought it would be best that Heartfilia-san know about it. Also, a word of warning...it might be best to keep Jellal Fernandes away from his darker contacts. He was spotted by someone the other day."

Erza pressed her lips together and leaned back in her seat, hands scrubbing down her face. Her hair, tied into a braid behind her, pressed painfully into her back. Fixing it, she murmured, "I got a call from Gray not too long ago...Lucy had to be taken to the hospital. The medicines they gave her have stopped working, and the headaches are getting worse. She's officially resigning from work, and she's getting a strong enough dose that she'll barely be able to function"

Cubellios looked sympathetic; she liked Lucy Heartfilia quite a lot and was worried about the young blonde. "i heard that he and Lockser-san are expecting their first child. I hope that it goes well for them," she mused. "I suppose that this wraps up our investigation then."

"I suppose it does," Erza agreed with a wry smile. A dry laugh escaped her. "To think that Natsu would do such a thing...I can see why. I'll talk with Jellal, see what he thinks we should do. He gathered quite a bit of information on the connections between Lucy's father, Zancrow, and Jackal. The officials were quite interested in it and thanked him. I'm grateful that they haven't heard of how he got such information…"

"Jellal's always been an informant they turn a blind eye to. The wrong person saw him, that's all," Cubellios told her, and then glanced over when Cobra cleared his throat.

"The hell is that pink-haired bastard gonna do when you tell them?"

Erza smiled anxiously, dark eyes thoughtful. "I don't know. He claims to not remember, but I don't know if that's the case at this point...to think he was involved with such people willingly…"

"He seems different as a ghost," Cubellios offered despite never having seen the subject of their discussion. "Perhaps that'll help you?"

"Natsu is Natsu," Erza's answer came. "I doubt that he'll act in any way that we can expect him to. I'll wait a bit though. He'll be stressed out with Lucy's condition and her being in the hospital. Levy mentioned that there was another friendlier ghost that showed up and started messing with her alcohol, so I'm assuming they'll be irritated about that, too. So I'll wait."

"Don't wait too long," Cobra grunted as he sat back, glancing at his partner when she leaned against his arm silently, her fingers tangling gently in his sleeve. He patted her violet-haired head comfortingly before nudging her away and pushing himself up from the table. "He ain't gonna be pleased no matter when ya tell him."

"No one will," Erza said quietly as she, too, stood.

The information they'd revealed hurt her more than she could say.

"But we'll be alright. We always are."

"I wish it hadn't turned out that way," Cubellios mumbled a few minutes later, when she and Cobra were walking down the street. She kept close to him, her lip chewed on. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, not saying anything when she finished speaking.

"It's such a shame that he had such a lonely death…and that Lucy won't get the revenge that she probably wanted..."

* * *

"What do you mean Lucy's not coming home tonight?!"

The heat that filled the room barely made the exhausted Levy flinch. While she couldn't hear his shouts and protesting, she could feel his anger fill her, see the books fly off of her many bookshelves. And he was angry.

Unknown to her, he was only inches away, teeth bared, onyx eyes furious. He stormed around her in circles, his breath coming in heavy and angry snarls that made the air only that much hotter.

But Levy was used to his tantrums and kept her calm, simply turning away and calling to the ghost that she couldn't see. "Not my decision. Wendy-chan and Porlyusica-san decided that it was for the best, and she agreed. You should respect her decisions and let her rest in peace, okay? She's tired. That was a bad spell earlier - a really bad one."

Natsu stormed after her, wanting to shake the petite woman as he roared, " _I can't help her there!_ "

He fisted his hands in his hair, digging his nails in, and for the first time in what must have been years, he thought he felt pain. When he pulled his hands away, he noticed the thick black plasma that had appeared on his fingers and fear filled him. Desperate and terrified for Lucy to come back before anything happened again, he tried to snatch at Levy's arm, but it was like trying to grab water.

"Bring her home," he pleaded when she didn't stop. "Please, Levy, you have to bring her home, I need Lucy to come home."

But she didn't hear him, and she didn't answer as she slipped into her room to get ready for bed.

Natsu collapsed onto his knees, desperately trying to keep his anger under control before he went into a full blown rage. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes.

The ringing of a phone had them snapping open, and he glanced over. He suddenly disappeared, making an appearances beside Levy's cellphone, which had been left on the counter in the kitchen.

Thoughtful, he read the caller ID.

 _Gajeel_

* * *

He studied the smartphone's screen, and then hesitantly answered, curious to see if he could.

"Hey, Levy," Gajeel demanded as soon as the other line picked up. He'd been wandering around his shop, shutting machinery down for the night as he did so. His fingers flicked a switch as he continued speaking. "Ya hear about Lucy? Heard she was in the hospital. She gonna be okay? Or do we need to worry about packin' up her apartment?"

There was silence for a brief moment before an answer came.

Yet it wasn't the answer he was expecting.

"Lucy?" The line grew staticky, as if he was watching an old television channel. "Are you with Lucy?"

Gajeel froze, not recognizing the voice that he was hearing. The machine he'd been in the middle of turning off stuttered and then snapped off, taking the power with it, and Gajeel swore colorfully before demanding, "Who the hell is this?"

"Where's Lucy? I want to talk to Lucy."

"Where's Levy?" he retorted, not pleased. Worry for his short girlfriend flashed through him as he tried to figure out what might have happened to her in between the time she'd left work and now.

The crackling continued. "Levy's getting ready for bed. I wanna talk with Lucy. Is Lucy there? Levy said she was feeling sicker again. I want to make sure she's okay."

"...what the _fuck_?" It struck Gajeel like a brick to the face. "Are you that fucking poltergeist? I swear, this thing keeps gettin' weirder and weirder-"

"Where's Lucy?"

"Shut up about the blondie, would ya? I ain't around her. She's at the hospital with the stripper and Juvia. Juvia went with them when she was done shoppin' with that freaky lady. She's fine for now." Gajeel fought back a shudder.

It was one thing seeing things fly around a room and plasma pool while a ghost fought off whatever the hell had possessed it.

But he was _talking_ to one now.

Not cool in his books.

"...I want to call Lucy," Natsu decided, changing his wording. The crackling continued, hurting Gajeel's ears as he gave up on his shop and simply left, locking the door behind him. "Can I call Lucy on this thing?"

"How should I know?" Gajeel fumbled with the keys, looking for the car key. There was silence for a few moments, and then the crackling stopped and his girlfriend's voice came over the line.

"Gajeel?"

"Ya wanna tell your roommate to screw off?" he demanded. "Not cool answering a phone for someone else and demanding to talk with someone."

"You spoke with _Natsu_? Or was it Cana? Lucy said the other ghost's name was Cana."

"Natsu, sounded male," Gajeel grunted back, swinging into his car. He rested his head back while he was in there, and then said gruffly, "Never calling ya like that again. Freaked me the hell out. Get the blondie on a phone for him, would ya? Jeez."

"Can't, she's drugged up in the hospital," Levy told him. "Interesting though, I didn't know that ghosts could talk over the phone like that…"

"Yeah, neither did I."

Silence.

And then Levy questioned, "What were you calling about?"

Gajeel groaned, running a hand down his face. "Doesn't matter. See ya tomorrow."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." A hesitant moment before she tentatively added in a quiet voice, "Love you."

He felt a jolt of shock run through him at such simple two words, and then grinned at nothing in particular. "Gihi. Same to ya, shorty."

And then he hung up.

* * *

 _Sorry that this was a bit later and shorter than normal! I hope you enjoyed! Paranormal is going to begin its wind down soon, a warning ahead of time!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Nanami B, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Typhlosion8, SunflowerChrysalis, OwlChaser113, LePengwen, Dragondancer81, Gir276, Guest #1, Yuyui Hime, FairyRains, LoveTheMonster, luckylucy77, ToastedWeirdBrain, Aya Rose, MehKitty, PinkFireandGoldenStars, akamagerain, allieflavored, NaLu x Buckets, AFallenAngel1221, Maiokoe, Life Death rabidlovingfangirl, Guest #2, BitterSweetTeas, fanficlove2014, Alicia Trinidaad, Sassassassin, and Mechanical-Rose-Sama!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	26. Chapter 26

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

 ***Warning: dark themes ahead, don't read if you're sensitive to such things.**

* * *

"Ugh, I'm so tired," Lucy moaned the next day as she was helped out of the hospital by a kindly smiling Jellal. Erza had gone to get the car they'd driven there, and Jellal had offered to keep the blonde company and make sure she didn't hurt herself while she was drugged on medication. "Kill me now. Don't make my suffering any longer, Jellal."

Jellal chuckled, gently patting her shoulder affectionately. "I'm afraid we're not ready to say goodbye yet, Lucy, bear with us a bit longer."

"I don't want to," she whined, but decided to change the conversation after that. "How's Natsu? Do you know?"

Jellal awkwardly made a sound that caught her attention instantly. She glared at him out of the corner of her eye, waiting impatiently for him to state what she'd missed. Eventually, he said with a small cough, "Apparently, and this is according to the information that we received from Levy earlier this morning, when she came to get your car, Natsu answered her phone when Gajeel called last night."

"Huh," Lucy muttered, not at all bothered. "Weird."

"He spoke to Gajeel, looking for you," Jellal continued. "He was worried."

" _Oh_ ," Lucy muttered, dark eyes going wide. "That's new. Interesting. Thank you for telling me...maybe we can get him to speak to Cobra and Cubellios. They can-"

She was cut off by a car pulling up, and Erza rolled the car's window down. "Jellal, hop in the back," she ordered, "Lucy's head makes her carsick more than usual."

"Of course," he said drily. "I was just telling her about Natsu's involvement in the phone call last night."

Erza's eyes flashed with surprise and then she said quietly, "Come on, I've got some news as well. From Cubellios and Cobra, actually. Lucy...they discovered the truth behind his death and decided to inform me so that I could tell you despite their supervisor's demands that they don't. Jellal," she added as he swung into the back seat. "They said that you needed to stop what you were doing. You were noticed."

Jellal grimaced as he slammed the door behind him. "Lovely."

"What about their discoveries?" Lucy demanded, her heart twisting as she strapped herself into the car, anxious. "Erza, what did they find?"

Erza took a deep breath. "Let's get some lunch first. You must be hungry after the hospital food. We'll have lunch out at a park or something, and I'll tell you there. It's not an easy story to tell for me, Lucy. He was my friend before his death. You must remember that."

Lucy nodded, muttering a quiet apology. The group settled down and the blonde rested her head back to close her eyes, her mind racing.

Just what had Erza found out?!

The group was silent as Erza drove out of the parking lot. She was quick in finding a place to eat at, and within the next hour, they had some burgers and fries and were climbing out of the car to go and sit at a table in a park in the middle of Magnolia. It was a quiet park, and as it was earlier in the day, barely anyone was there.

Jellal pushed his hair from his eyes as he sat beside his bride-to-be, glancing at her. "Erza?"

She'd begun to tremble, her hands nearly dropping her food as she set it down. Lucy was quiet, watching with a careful look in her eyes, recognizing that Erza was holding in information that wasn't particularly something she would probably like. And that made Lucy even more nervous, because Erza was probably one of the strongest people she knew.

Lucy didn't have much food before her, a simple milkshake and the smallest fry available. Her stomach churned at even that amount, and she made a face at the food. She wanted to shove it at one of the two before her as Jellal leaned to murmur in Erza's ear, worried about her. She shook her head, long scarlet hair whirling around her.

She took a fry and began to nibble on it before beginning to speak.

"Lucy," she said quietly, resting her elbows on the table and propping her chin in her open palm,, glancing out towards the nearby duck pond. "I knew Natsu for many years before his death. You're aware of that. When he disappeared, Gray and I fell out of touch and I left Magnolia. I didn't think I'd speak to either again, nor did I think I'd see the Strauss family again when I came back. And I made new friends, of course, such as yourself and Levy." A smile touched her lips before her gaze darkened and she sat back.

"I don't blame you for anything," she told the blonde. "But I will admit that as of now, I wish I'd never met you."

Lucy's eyes snapped wide. Hurt flashed across her face, and Erza rushed on, quick to reassure her.

"I love you, Lucy, you're like a sister to me, don't get me wrong. You've done nothing wrong and you're a friend I would never regret making. But you're the reason I looked further into Natsu's death and with what I was told… it hurts me more than ever that he's gone." She shook her head. She took a deep breath and then told both of them, "You're not to tell anyone. Natsu alone. Juvia doesn't know, Gray doesn't know, no one knows. Not anyone but us and Natsu, is that clear?"

"Yes," Lucy murmured, her teeth gnawing on her lip nervously.

"Years and years ago, Natsu's father Igneel, adopted him." She leaned forward, her eyes glittering. "Igneel was a good man and I loved him as much as anyone could. I was an orphan, and he was kind to everyone. But he somehow got pulled into some bad things, and it resulted in his disappearance. He got involved with people who were wanted by the police. The cops realized this and requested his assistance when he began to express concern about the people, and it was then that he accidentally busted a rather large drug trade that was going to happen. A few weeks later, he went missing and was never seen from again."

Lucy's eyes flashed with confusion. "But Jellal...Jellal said that Natsu was the one to-"

Erza held a hand up to cut her off. "I'm aware. Jellal got what information he could." She paused to give him a smile, and he returned it drily. "But the information that he gets is a lot different than the official records and footage."

The blonde made a sound of acceptance, recognizing this, and sat back, leaving her food untouched.

"Natsu was young when Igneel disappeared, but not too young. He came to live with me when I offered despite Ur - that's Gray's adoptive mother - offering to take him in. He was obsessed with finding Igneel, hurt by what had happened. He never took his scarf off, and I heard him crying in the night for his father sometimes."

"It was years later that - out of the blue - he disappeared, too. We looked for him - Ur got the highest officials she could, and she was in the military for a while, so she knew many - but he was never heard from again. I moved away soon after, and didn't return until after Jellal and I met in Crocus."

Erza took a deep breath, her dark eyes misted over with tears. "Yesterday...Cubellios and Cobra told me what the missing information was. And it kills me to say this. Natsu...he found out about what had happened to Igneel. Zancrow had some friends. An entire group of friends that were known for their harsh ways. They caught Igneel when he wasn't suspecting it and tortured him for weeks before finally killing him."

Lucy cupped a hand over her mouth, horrified, and Jellal simply popped a fry into his mouth, saying quietly. "The Seven Kin of Purgatory," he said wryly, "Is what they call themselves. They're fairly close to Tartaros, which is what Jackal was a part of. Both are practically cults in their own right."

"Natsu learned about it. And Natsu...he couldn't handle it. He'd always been a fan of fireworks." Erza gave a choked laugh, wiping tears from her eyes. "So he learned how to...how to make a homemade bomb. He decided that he was going to go out with a bang, not caring if it killed people or not. And luckily, it didn't - just him."

Erza stared Lucy straight in the eye.

"Lucy, there was no murder. There was no violent killing." She spoke quietly, her tone soft yet firm. "No one killed Natsu. He killed himself. Natsu committed suicide. I was looking further into it, just to make sure, and sure enough, he purchased everything necessary. I don't know if he honestly doesn't remember now. It might have been too painful...but he wasn't killed by someone else."

Lucy sat there in silence for a few minutes, comprehending this information. She pressed her lips together, and then snatched up her milkshake to give her an excuse to not speak for a few short moments.

Finally, the blonde set her milkshake back down and spoke in a shaky voice. "H-he said...he said that he felt danger whenever he thought about it…"

"That could very well be the dangerous intent he had towards himself without taking notice of the other lives that would have been involved," Jellal said softly, dark eyes sorrowful.

Lucy pressed her hand over her eyes, a soft sound leaving her lips. They watched her carefully, worried for the young woman before she finally dropped her hand and looked up. Her eyes brimmed with tears, her breath coming shakily for a moment. "I just...he regrets it. He m-misses being alive."

"I know," Erza soothed. She took a small bite of her food, shaking her head as she chewed. "But there is no more mystery to his death. So perhaps, if he learns that this is how he died, and that the ones responsible for Igneel's death are being brought to justice, he can move on."

A thought suddenly struck her.

"If Zancrow and his group were behind Igneel and ultimately Natsu's death…" Lucy's eyes narrowed warily, and she pushed a short strand of hair behind her ear. "Then what about my father?"

"Jude Heartfilia was involved with several illegal cases," Jellal agreed, "He worked with both Zancrow and Jackal."

"Ah, that." Erza tensed, her shoulders stiff as she reached for one of Jellal's fries, nibbling on it. "Apparently, Jude Heartfilia didn't have anything to do with Natsu's death, but with Igneel's. He helped with the cover up and then supplied whatever they wanted. It was something he boasted about to several people."

Lucy pressed her lips together, her face twisting into despair. "I don't know how I'm going to tell Natsu…"

"I can do it," Erza offered. "But it might be dangerous for most of us, Lucy. He doesn't ever want to hurt you again, so I think it's best that you do it. Besides, Juvia's pregnant, and I doubt Gray would want to risk-"

Lucy choked on nothing, sputtering. "Juvia's _pregnant_?"

"...you didn't know?" Erza looked startled.

Jellal smiled wryly and confirmed it for the poor lost woman. "Yes, Lucy, Juvia is indeed with child. She and Gray were going to go over to your place to seek some help from your perspective last night, but with your migraine, they chose to wait to tell you."

"Juvia's going to be upset with me," Erza realized with a heavy sigh.

"Juvia will understand," Jellal reassured, and then glanced over when Lucy suddenly gave a sob, her eyes filled with tears.

She buried her face in her hands, choking out between her fingers, "Oh, god, why me? I don't want to die...I'm going to miss so much." Erza's gaze softened and she reached out to gently draw Lucy in for a hug. "It's not fair. I want to see their baby...the doctors don't even know if I'll be making it to your guys' wedding-"

"Not with that mindset you won't," Erza scolded. "Think in a positive manner, Lucy."

"I _can't_ ," she whispered, shaking her head. "I'm _dying_ , Erza."

"A fact that we're very aware of," she replied fiercely, smoothing Lucy's hair back. She gave Jellal a look and he nodded, climbing to his feet to go and call Levy. She would need to know about Lucy's breakdown, so that she could tell Natsu that Lucy wasn't up for any nonsense.

Instead of Levy, however, he received a strange crackling.

"Hello?" he uttered, bewildered.

A voice he didn't recognize filled his ears, questioning, "Lucy? Is Lucy there? I want to talk to Lucy."

 _"Fucker wouldn't shut up about Lucy. Freaked me the hell out."_

"Natsu," Jellal recognized. "This is Jellal. You shouldn't be answering Levy's phone. Where's Levy? Can you tell me? I'll let you talk to Lucy as soon as you do."

"Levy's eating. She didn't hear it ring."

"Thank you. Lucy's upset right now, Natsu, so don't do anything that'll make it worse. Okay?"

"Yeah. Let me talk to Luce."

Jellal was startled by the nickname, the way his voice filled with warmth and adoration when he spoke it, but smiled to himself and simply turned back to Erza and Lucy. "Lucy," he said cautiously, "It's for you."

Her eyes were red, filled with confusion. "What?"

He reached over Erza to gently press the phone into her fingers, and she hesitantly raised it to her ear, sniffing softly. "Hello?" she croaked, her voice muffled by her hand.

"Lucy?"

" _Natsu_?" Lucy groaned, giving a bitter laugh. "Did you...did you answer someone's phone for them again? I thought Juvia stopped by to tell you not to."

"I want you to come home."

"I'm coming," she sighed shakily, glancing up when Erza and Jellal began to argue under their breath. Her eyes softened as she watched Jellal roll his eyes and then touch her cheek, as if hoping that it would help coax her to do as he saw fit. "I was having l-lunch with Erza. We'll have to talk soon, okay? I'm going to take a nap when I get home though."

"...are you upset?" His voice became biting, and the crackling that accompanied it became worse, nearly violent. "You're upset. Aren't you. Who did it?"

"You did, actually, but I'll tell you why and how later." She wasn't up for it. She couldn't bring herself to tell her confused friend - the one who she felt knew her better than even Levy - how he had died just yet.

 _Maybe after the wedding…?_

"I did?"

"Yes, but that's not important now. I'll be home soon, okay? Leave everyone alone until I get there. Bye, Natsu."

"...bye," he muttered, and then hung up.

Lucy lowered the phone, and then handed it back to Jellal, speechless. "He really truly talks on the phone now. Does he just...answer anyone's phone?"

"Levy mentioned that Gajeel had complained about a few people complaining about random phone calls," Erza mused, and Lucy sighed in exasperation and climbed to her feet, determined to get home so that she could see her worried poltergeist.

* * *

When they returned to the complex, Natsu was waiting in the parking lot, his entire body tensed and his onyx eyes glittering with impatience. The second Lucy stepped out of the car, gingerly touching her head, he was there, practically purring as he leaned into her. "Hey, Luce."

She gave him a faint smile, remembering what she'd been told earlier in the day. "Hey."

Natsu?

Suicide?

That wasn't possible. He was such a happy person...how could he have even considered something like that? He'd loved his friends, hadn't seemed unhappy despite having lost his father…

Lucy touched the scarf still wrapped around her throat, realizing that its importance had only grown.

This was the last possession he'd received from Igneel before he'd' been tortured and murdered for screwing up.

"Lucy?" Erza prodded. "We're going to be meeting up with Gray and Juvia for a meeting about the wedding. Will you be alright?"

Lucy shot her a thumbs up. "Natsu and I will go watch some shows and take a nap. Don't worry. Focus on your wedding, Erza."

"Are you sure?" she protested, but Lucy was already heading inside. Unknown to the pair that watched anxiously after her, Natsu kept up with ease, chatting with her lightly about what had happened throughout the day - all while impatiently waiting for her to tell him about whatever had upset her.

When they reached her apartment, Lucy locked the door behind her and then threw herself down onto the couch, silently recognizing the fact that killed her inside to admit.

"Natsu," she said, voice muffled by the couch cushions. "I'm going to ask if I can move in with Levy."

He stared down at her in shock, and then frowned. "Why? I can take care of you-"

"I know you can," she soothed, rolling onto her back to look up. "It's just...I need to start getting ready. Soon, I'll probably have issues getting up at all, and there's a limit on what you can do to help me." She closed her eyes, and then opened them again. "I'll still be in the building. Just not here. Natsu, I can't...I can barely see straight and I've forgotten so many words over the past few days…"

He sat beside the couch, resting his chin beside her head so that he could rest his head against hers.

"I don't want you to die, Lucy," he mumbled. "I want you to keep living."

Lucy swallowed the lump in her throat, her voice thick as she lifted a hand to caress his head with soft fingers.

"Me, too, but we don't always get what we want. Now, what do you want to watch?" she asked as Happy made an appearance and hopped onto the couch with her, purring as he rubbed his head against her hand.

"Whatever you want," he decided, closing his eyes.

He wasn't ready to say goodbye, but something told him that soon, he wouldn't get a choice.

* * *

 _Sorry about the wait! Finally learning about Natsu's death! Poor guy was a mess, eh? Now, for a few questions...  
_

 _A reviewer, akmagerain, brought up a major question that many people are probably wondering about: how did people like Natsu and Cana become ghosts? This applies to the freaky ones, too. It's simple (in my head anyways). A violent death plus regret equals a ghost. Cana was killed in a nasty drunk driving accident and regrets that she was the one behind it and caused her father pain. Natsu blew himself up (as we learned in this chapter), and feels regret that he's not alive to be with his frirends, though we have yet to see him re-informed about the matter.  
_

 _A guest asked about lemons...probably not! Sorry!_

 _And to OwlChaser113, who asked...yes. I have many pets. Five of which are in my room as I post this._

 _Thanks to reviewers (BeautifulSkye213, LePengwen, AFallenAngel1221, owlcity2013, akamegerain, Aya Rose, Dragondancer81, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, SnflowerChrysalis, MehKitty, PinkFireandGoldenStars, misssbehavin, iBook Keeper, maalikdb, RunningWithTheRiptide, Guest #1, NaLu x Buckets, Sassassassin, Typhlosion8, OwlChaser113, FairyRains, YuyuiHime, LoveTheMonster, Guest #2, BrokenHeartsMend, Guest #3, Alicia Trinidad, pucksabrinadaphne, and Mechanical-Rose-Sama!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	27. Chapter 27

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

She studied the piece of metal in her hand with a look of depression written across her face. Her other hand rose, her fingers smoothing over it lovingly almost, and the person standing behind her with his chin on her shoulder and arms wrapped gently around her waist snorted softly in her ear.

"Ya don't have to, Luce," Natsu told her.

"..yes," she sighed, "I do. Here, Gajeel. Here's the stupid key." She shakily pressed it into the waiting man's calloused hand, and then retracted her own, ignoring the heat that warmed her as a crabby Natsu refused to leave her be. He'd been rather clingy lately, as if sensing that her condition was worsening and that she needed the constant comfort that he provided.

And she was grateful for it.

The second something started going wrong, he was gone to fetch someone who could help.

"Thank you, Gajeel," Lucy told him as she smiled faintly, ignoring the reassuring pat that Levy gave to her shoulder. He blinked in surprise. "For letting me rent the apartment. And being patient about everything, even with Natsu being stupid and breaking a lot of things."

"Tch." Gajeel flicked her forehead, flinching slightly at the violent heat that snapped at him. "You ain't gone yet. Ya aren't allowed to say things like that until you're on your deathbed, got me?"

She only smiled. "Right."

Natsu puffed out a frustrated sound and then released Lucy in favor of crossing his arms, a pout on his face. "Ya could have asked me. That was my place, too."

"You," she muttered under her breath, "Can't pay for it. So shush." Clearing her throat, Lucy glanced to Levy, adjusting the clothes she wore with care. "Can we go now? I'm already going to cry enough as it is today, I don't want to add onto it."

Today was the day that Lucy had decided to visit her parents' grave for what she personally thought was the last time. It had been harder than before to drag herself free of sleep that morning, and when she had, she'd been confronted with headache so fierce, she'd spent the majority of her morning in the pitch black bathroom. Natsu had been there, of course, chasing off a nasty ghost that had come searching, but it hadn't helped relieve the pain.

Over the past week, she'd thought over what to do. It had started with packing and selling and gifting, and it had ended with her last remaining possessions being a few sets of clothes and a special book that Levy had promised to care for after she was gone.

She'd thought about Natsu, too.

How could she not?

She'd thought of his death every day, her heart aching at the thought of telling him what she didn't want him to know yet knew she needed to soon tell him. When Cana had arrived - permanently - Lucy had spoken to her while Levy had distracted Natsu, and Cana had been more than willing to offer advice that Lucy knew to be the right thing, but hurt her nevertheless.

Inform him.

And soon.

So that he had time to accept it with her help and move on before she perished, too.

"I think you should stay here," the cranky poltergeist snapped.

"I think you're just mad," Lucy sighed, "That I gave up the key to the apartment you and Gray shared for a while. So drop it, Natsu." She touched her head when it throbbed for a moment, and then shook off the pain and smiled brightly at Levy. The blue-haired woman looked concerned, and then shook her head at her friend's cheerful appearance.

"Come on," she sighed as Natsu launched into a rant about the negatives of going to visit graves when you were vulnerable to spirits, "Let's get going." She dragged Gajeel down so that she could peck him on the cheek, making Lucy giggle at how they dealt with the massive height difference between them. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, yeah. Tell the freak to not break anything if he throws a fit." Gajeel glanced to Lucy as he spoke, and she grinned.

"He can hear you," she told him, and then shot Natsu a small farewell before slipping away with Levy to go to the small woman's car. She stumbled, but Levy made sure to catch her before she could fall, and then kept a hand on Lucy's arm to give her a way to balance.

They made their way to the first floor and then left the building, Natsu trailing from a distance the entire way just to see his Lucy off. When they were in the car, he finally went back inside - more than likely to deal with the bothersome Cana, who had begun to find random bottles of liquor throughout the building after getting comfortable in her new home.

"You feeling okay?" Levy asked.

Lucy rested her head back as Levy pulled the car out of its parking space, closing her eyes. "I didn't want to get up this morning. It was _really_ bad. I think I'll make it to at least the wedding though, since it's in only a month or so, but I don't know about after...I'm trying."

"We know." Levy patted her arm soothingly. "And we're proud of you for doing so well even when we know it hurts you."

Lucy gave a slight huff at that, amused. Hurt didn't even begin to describe the agonizing pain that filled her in the worst of moments. She understood why people with incurable things became hateful and filled with anger towards those who weren't ill on occasion. What did _they_ know? They didn't know what it was like to want to curl up in a ball and die while your agonizing headache told you otherwise, spinning you off balance and throwing words that used to come so easily to the wind.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy murmured, "I don't know if I'm even going to make it to the wedding, actually. And even if I do, if I'll be able to attend and be the maid of honor they wanted me to be…"

Levy glanced over to her in surprise, but Lucy's expression was unreadable.

Something told her that she didn't have that kind of time. A tug in her gut, or something like that. And it made her fill with simple acceptance; everyone died.

She was just leaving the world a little sooner.

At least she was given time to sort through everything and bid everyone farewell.

Right?

* * *

The rest of their trip was made in silence, neither saying a word to the other.

When they arrived at the wealthy looking building that Lucy had once lived in, they stopped to greet the woman that had been ushering a child inside. The woman recognized Lucy immediately and waved with a large smile on her face.

"Hello, Lucy!"

Lucy giggled, "Hello, Meredy," she greeted.

The pink-haired woman pushed the child towards the doors, ordering her to go and fetch her father, and the girl bowed in greeting to Lucy and Levy before darting off to do just that. "What can I do for you? I heard that you were sick," she added with a mournful expression. "I'm sorry, Lucy."

"Don't apologize," Lucy told her with a sigh, "It's not anyone's fault. Anyways, we're paying a visit to my parents, so...is that alright?"

"Go right ahead," Meredy said firmly, waving her towards the side of the building. "You know where it is. My husband was doing some clearing up back there - trimming up the grass, the likes, earlier, so the gates are unlocked.

"Thank you, Meredy!" Lucy said honestly, and then pulled Levy away. She led the blue-haired woman towards the back of the property, through gorgeous green grasses and trees that were trimmed to perfection.

When they reached the area Lucy was directing them to, she paused to examine it. "This is where I'll be buried," she said quietly. It was a beautiful and small gated graveyard, with headstones that were kept with care. She ducked into it and found her mother and father immediately, kneeling before the two headstones. "I'll be right beside my mother," she told Levy, reaching out to tap the ground. She licked her lips and then smiled wryly. "I feel bad. I couldn't continue the Heartfilia line like I was supposed to."

Levy looked apologetic as she crouched beside her. "It's not your fault, Lu-chan," she said softly. "Like you said, it's not anyone's fault and it's certainly not yours."

"I suppose so," Lucy sighed. She went quiet as she studied the two headstones for a few moments, and then asked, "Will you come and visit me, Levy?"

Levy glanced at her with quiet hazel eyes and then smiled gently. "Of course. I'll bring you flowers every week, Lu-chan. All of us will. And we'll have birthday parties for you here, too."

Lucy looked pleased by this as she stroked the grass for a few moments. "I...I have this feeling. That I won't be able to stay and haunt the place with Natsu like I want, and I feel as if he won't be able to move on, so...could you try and help him to when I'm gone? He doesn't deserve to stay there. Not after the pain he went through." When Levy glanced in confusion at her, she gave a faint smile and explained, "Erza learned how he died and told me. I can't tell you because of reasons, but I think...I'm going to tell him tonight."

There was a dim pounding in the back of her head, telling her to curl up and sleep, but she pushed against it.

Not yet.

She wouldn't leave just yet.

"Lucy?" Levy looked anxious when the blonde suddenly touched her head, wincing. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm...just dizzy." The blonde tried to give her a reassuring smile.

 _Lights out._

Darkness.

* * *

Natsu knew something was wrong from the second that Gajeel received a call and was storming out of the building in an instant. He'd been relaxing in Levy's apartment, watching TV while his cat and Happy ran around chasing each other playfully. And he paced desperately through the complex when he left, distressed, with only a giggling Cana for company.

"Stop laughing!" he demanded.

Cana, who was seated on the floor as her father - Gildarts Clive - watched the TV with interest, his hand resting lightly on a picture that was in his lap, only snorted and cackled again. "You're a liar, you know, lying to Lucy," she sang.

"You're not actually drunk, so stop pretending," he snarled desperately, frustrated.

"You're a liar."

"I am _not_."

"You say you don't remember how you died, but really, you do." His sharp onyx eyes darted to Cana, who shrugged her shoulders, her dark hair seeming to float around her shoulders. "You _do_. Right? I mean, I remember flashes, not the whole thing, but I remember something."

"I don't," he protested. "The only thing I know is the heat, and that's cause I'm a weird ghost."

"At least you know you're a ghost, Natsu-kun," she mused. "I'll give you that, some idiots pretend not to know. But seriously, don't you remember flickers of memories?"

"No. I remember back when I was young and Igneel. I remember losing Igneel. I remember Erza and the stupid stripper. Nothin' more." His voice was cold, and he swore as he kicked at nothing in particular. "What's going on?! I told them it was bad. A bad idea to go to a graveyard."

Cana arched an eyebrow. "What happens at a graveyard? How do you know so much about all of this anyways?"

"I chatted with a medium who passed through years back," he said quickly and then continued. "A negative and a negative make a positive." His eyes glinted darkly. "Lucy's illness is a negative. A spirit haunting a graveyard with bad intentions is a negative. Do you know what that means?"

"Possession." Cana leaned forward, understanding flashing through her face. The brunette looked worried now; she hadn't been there long, but she was rather fond of Lucy. "So you think she might-"

"It's possible." He seemed to fidget, desperation making the heat flare around him so that Gildarts frowned and shifted uncomfortably. They gave it a moment before continuing their conversation. "Damn it, I told them not to go…"

"Lucy's strong," Cana murmured, her eyes thoughtful. "Maybe she can resist it...have you ever possessed someone?"

"Once. It was...weird." He made a face. "It was mostly because a fire was starting. Kids are easier - there minds are weaker, not as guarded, you know? So I possessed Asuka down the hall and had her tell her parents about it. It saved a lot of people and damage expenses."

"You're attached to the place," Cana muttered. "But it'd be wrong to have kids leave-"

Suddenly, Natsu paused, feeling a tug. "...Juvia's here, calling for me," he murmured, and then simply went to the blue-haired woman's side. Cana kept up with ease, though she grimaced, looking a bit uneasy. "I didn't say you could follow."

Juvia blinked in surprise. "Hello, Cana-san. Natsu." She looked to her longtime friend, her blue eyes gentle. "Natsu, Lucy collapsed. She's in the hospital again." He locked on her, worried, and her gaze softened further. "Natsu, Lucy's not...they're not sure if she's going to wake up again. She's worse than they thought."

"She went to a graveyard," he insisted. "She's possessed. Probably."

Juvia shook her head. "Juvia can't see or sense anything from her. She's just ill." She tucked some hair behind her ear, sorrowful. "She's been hiding how much pain she was really in, apparently, and even taking more medicine then she was supposed to. Did you know?"

Natsu blinked. "I dunno. I just watched her take the medicine when Levy wasn't around. Guess she might have taken more than usual."

"Natsu," Juvia sighed, "You have to tell us about stuff like that. Okay? It's for Lucy's health, and-"

He squinted at her face. "I want to go see her. I want to check on her."

"You can't leave the property."

Fury flashed across his face. "Watch me," he challenged.

" _Have you ever possessed someone?"_

Once.

And he'd do it again if it meant making sure that Lucy really had only passed out - even if he did choose to possess Juvia. But before he could try anything, Cana snagged him by the wrist, icy cold compared to the heat he offered. "Bring her here," she said softly, "She won't want to die in a hospital."

Juvia looked startled. "We were already going to," she told her.

"Then bring her here," Natsu demanded, frustration increasing the heat around him. "I want to see Lucy, _now_."

"She has to be discharged and what not first, Natsu," Cana said patiently and then told Juvia, "We'll wait. He'll be fine, don't worry-"

They were cut off by Juvia's phone suddenly going off. Natsu tried to grab it, desperate, but Juvia stepped away and answered. "Hello?" she said quietly, frowning.

"J-Juvia," Levy's voice sobbed on the other end and Natsu practically pressed his cheek against hers to hear what was happening, his eyes blazing with rage. "We...oh, my god, we don't know what happened. Th-there was something w-wrong, and then-"

"Hold still, woman," Gajeel's voice cut in. "They're trying to stitch you up."

"What happened?" Juvia fretted.

There was a brief moment of rustling, and then Gajeel told the blue-haired woman, "Blondie went fuckin' insane, blew out windows, and fucking walked out like it was nothing, spouting nonsense about how stupid we were and about how she was gonna do something to make sure that she wasn't bothered again."

Natsu exploded with rage, throwing his hands up. "I _told_ you!" he roared, shaking with rage. "I told you not to go to the _freaking graveyard_ , but did you listen? No! You goddamn morons ignored me and went to the graveyard!"

"Shut up right now, you ghosty bastard, or I'm sendin' in the exorcist."

" _Okay_ ," Cana cut in, "So she's possessed."

"...who the fuck is that, Juvia?"

Juvia smiled faintly. "Cana, the other ghost. Juvia thinks that we need to find Lucy...who else is there?"

"Scarlet and Fernandez. Fullbuster's where ya left 'im. And Wendy, 'cause she's helping us deal with wounds. Bitch left a nasty gash in my girlfriend's head."

"Okay," Juvia decided, sucking a deep breath. "Juvia will call Yukino-san, Sting-san, and Rogue-san to come help if you want to finish up there. Juvia knows Gray-sama will help, too, of course. Um...Natsu, is there anyone else-"

"He left a while ago," Cana hummed. "I think he's going to try and possess a kid so he can help you."

"He's gonna possess a _kid_?" Gajeel snapped, horrified, but Juvia cut in smoothly, frowning as she ordered Cana to go and find him. "Anyways...where should we start?"

"The graveyard Lucy was in," Juvia decided. "Juvia thinks she might be there. Um...maybe Erza-san can call in connections, or call Cobra-san and Cubellios-san? Juvia thinks they could track her easily."

"I'll do that. See ya later, crazy woman."

Juvia hung up and then turned to face Cana when she reappeared, awkwardly clearing her throat. "I found him," she reported to Juvia. "But, uh…"

"Take me to Lucy."

A voice Juvia didn't recognize caught her attention and she peered around Cana. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the furious boy that glared up at her, his dark eyes glittering with malice. "N-Natsu," she breathed, "What are you...who is this boy?"

"Romeo," he answered, looking down at himself. "Lives in the building with his father. Play with him sometimes, he likes trucks and trains. I'll give him back. Ain't planning on keeping him. Now where's Lucy?"

"I"m not," Juvia said gently, kneeling so that she was at his level, "Taking you out while you are possessing a child, Natsu. The boy's father would be heartbroken if Romeo-kun vanished on him. Please let him go and Juvia will try and help you leave the property."

Natsu glared at her viciously through the child's eyes. "I _can't_ leave!"

"Maybe that attitude's why?" Cana suggested, running her fingers through her hair. "Oh! Juvia-chan, ask my old man Gildarts to help. Ya can even tell him I'm hanging around if ya want. He's pretty good at finding people. It's what he does for a living."

"Juvia will, thank you Cana-san," Juvia said honestly. "But she's right, Natsu. It might be your mentality. Try, perhaps, to attach yourself to your scarf or something similar and you might find her faster than the rest of us." She touched the boy's cheek. "Please, Natsu. We want to find her as much as you do, but you can't possess someone to do it."

Angry tears appeared in his eyes, but Juvia watched as the boy's eyes fluttered shut. He collapsed, and Juvia just barely caught him in time, letting him curl up on the floor naturally, as if he'd fallen asleep wandering around.

When Natsu's angry onyx eyes glared at her, she said firmly, "You are a coward, Natsu Dragneel." Juvia's voice quivered as she spoke. "You cannot leave this place because you're scared to. It's the place of your death. This is where you died, and you're scared that if you leave, you won't be able to come back. Because you won't leave, Lucy is in trouble, and we can't do anything to get her back. You are a coward to think that possessing a child would be the best option."

The rage that flashed across Natsu's face had even Cana looking elsewhere, nervous, and Juvia only met his gaze evenly. "Screw you," he spat. "You don't know what it's like."

"Juvia was dead for a minute or two, Juvia remember the darkness that came with it very well," Juvia said simply, shivering. "And Juvia thinks that you are a ridiculously cowardly man for not pushing past your fears and stepping outside.

He stared her in the eye, as if contemplating the idea of possessing _her_ , and then smirked.

"Watch me."

And then he disappeared.

* * *

 _And things start to go a bit nuts, eh? Poor Lucy. And Natsu's desperate. Poor guy._

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, SunflowerChrysalis, Alicia Trinidad, Yuyui Hime, Nanami B, maalidb, PatPanda648, Typhlosion8, the Composcreator, MehKitty, Dragondancer81, Aya Rose, AFallenAngel1221, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, FairyRains, Gir276, RunningWithTheRiptide, akamagerain, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Sassassassin, DazzTugz, pucksabrinadaphne, LoveTheMonster, o0vicarious-living0o, Bringmethekawaiisenpai, BeautifulSkye213, OwlChaser113, Guest, iBook Keeper, and Naluislove4!) as well as those who favorited and followed!  
_


	28. Chapter 28

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

"Oh, my gosh," Juvia gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth when she saw the grimacing Levy standing in the doorway of the apartment the short blue-haired woman now shared with Lucy. Gray looked just as stunned as she felt.

The young woman was covered in wounds and looked exhausted, but more than that, determined.

Determined to find her friend and figure out where the already ill Lucy was.

"Anyone else who was there is okay," Levy reassured. "Gajeel and Sting and Rogue were there. Guess who believes in the supernatural things now." She gave a wry smile, and then ran a hand gingerly down her face. "How are you guys? Where'd Natsu go?"

"He's not here anymore," Juvia reported. She gestured to the empty space beside her. "Cana can't find him or feel him."

Levy looked shocked. "Did he move on _now_ of all times?"

Juvia smiled secretly. "Juvia made him mad," she explained. "Juvia called him a coward and more to remind him that the only reason a ghost is attached to a place is because their fears trap them there."

"When the hell did you learn that?" Gray demanded, glancing at her.

"When Juvia was yelling at Natsu." Juvia gave a smug little smirk, and then continued. "Juvia thinks that a ghost is attached to a person or place because they're scared of losing them. Cana cannot leave her father because she's scared of him being lonely. Natsu was scared that he wouldn't be welcome home, so he limited himself and couldn't leave."

"...so let me get this straight," Levy said slowly. "You pissed him off so much he could leave?"

Juvia nodded. "And then he should have gone to what he's second most connected to."

"Lucy," Gray realized, rubbing the back of his head. "He'll go to Lucy almost immediately."

"Good, at least he'll be able to find her," Levy breathed, smiling when Happy trotted into view, tail waving in the air and an anxious purr in the back of his throat. She scooped up the cat and hugged him, scratching him under the chin. "Hey, Happy. Don't worry, we'll get her back."

"Wendy-chan saw it, too," Levy added after a few moments of silence. "She got some nasty scratches; Porlyusica-san wasn't too pleased. Wendy-chan thinks...Wendy-chan doesn't think that Lucy will survive this kind of brutality, Juvia-san."

Juvia's gaze darkened and she looked away. Levy looked horrified as she spoke. "Juvia knows," she said thickly, "That it is very difficult to recover from a possession. The stronger the spirit, the less likely you are to recover fully. It'll be even harder on Lucy's already injured mind. Juvia does not think that Lucy will recover, no."

"She'll die then?" Gray's voice cracked strangely, and when she looked up at the one she'd agreed to marry, she wanted to cry herself. Gray looked upset; almost more upset than when he'd received news that his adopted brother had been in the hospital for emergency surgery - which he'd recovered from, of course.

"More than likely she's already gone," Juvia said quietly, and Levy gave a low moan of grief, burying her face in her cut fingers.

From where she was sitting beside Juvia, unknown to the other two, Cana spoke.

"I don't think she'll be gone entirely, actually." Cana ran her fingers through her messy dark hair, tilting her head so that it fell gently over her shoulders. "She's strong, even if she is sick. And she's been around us for so long, she might have some kind of resistance. The most I think that'll happen is that her condition will have worsened. But I really don't think she'll be dead."

"Can people get some kind of...antibody?" Juvia looked confused, but hopeful as she studied Cana.

Cana shrugged. "Maybe. I dunno. I've only been a ghost for goin' on six months, so...I'm not as knowledgeable as Natsu, but it's possible, I think."

"What?" Levy demanded when Juvia beamed, excited by the possibility.

"Cana thinks," she explained, "That Lucy might have developed a resistance to ghosts and won't be as affected as others usually are. Lucy might be able to push back and keep her mind safe from the damage that possessions cause, and Juvia hopes that she's right."

"Well, everyone's looking for her, so...Erza called Cubellios and the pair of them are looking into it while Cobra asks a few friendly ghosts that he's found throughout Magnolia," Gray reported with a groan, his head ducked to look at his phone. There was a moment of scrolling before he added in, "There might have been a sighting according to Gajeel. Somewhere downtown in an older area?"

"It'll be going back to where it died," Juvia explained, standing swiftly.

"You aren't going anywhere," Gray said firmly. Juvia made a sound of protest, and he stood beside her, lightly poking her in the belly to remind her why. "You stay here and keep an eye on the place and make sure that everyone knows what's going on. Cana can help you. Levy can stay with you. She'll research into where violent deaths have happened, and maybe we can figure out where Lucy will end up. Let me know what place has the most deaths."

"...alright," Juvia reluctantly agreed after a moment, and then seated herself back onto the couch.

"I'll go get my laptop," Levy told her and limped away to do that.

Gray grabbed his car keys and kissed Juvia on top of her head. "I'll be back," he promised, and then left without hesitation, worried for the girl that had come questioning about Natsu once upon a time.

He wasn't so sure, however, that this "once upon a time" would have a happy ending.

* * *

When Natsu glanced around, he was confused.

Where the hell was he?!

For the first time in years, Natsu found himself further than the parking lot of the apartment complex he'd called home and had died in. He glanced around, shocked by what he was seeing, and then found himself latching immediately onto the sight of the blonde that stared at him in shock.

It looked like Lucy, but he immediately knew it wasn't.

He could see the plasma that leaked at the corner of her mouth, bubbling. And her dark eyes were filled with a hatred that Lucy didn't feel an ounce of. Her hands trembled with rage as she stared at him. "...you shouldn't be here," she croaked.

"Neither should you," Natsu retorted. His onyx eyes hardened with rage towards the creature that had taken over his blonde friend. "Let the human girl be free. You have no reason to linger any longer."

The creature cackled, and it sounded strange in the voice of a girl that usually giggled joyously, even when she was in pain. "You don't know," it laughed. Eyes glinting, it told him, "She knows of your death. You don't know about it, I can see it in your eyes, but she does. She learned from the red-haired one, and she wasn't going to tell you."

Natsu fought back the rage that blossomed at the idea.

 _No negative thoughts_ , he scolded himself, voices coaxing in his ears. Now was the not the time to be turning against his friends for hiding anything like that. And Lucy would never hide something like that; she might have only just found out before she'd been hurt and possessed. She was more than likely going to tell him and soon.

The idea of being told soon reassured him and he raised his chin. "So? Lucy tells me everything. She would have told me eventually, even if it was on her deathbed. Now let. Her. Go." His demand was sharply said, full of the anger that began to overtake him. He pushed it down, though, knowing it would affect the other ghost.

"Suicide," it sang, and he froze, stopping dead in his tracks. "That's how you died, Natsu. Suicide. You blew yourself up because you couldn't handle the idea that your father was dead."

Natsu's hands curled into fists. Memories flashed across his vision. The dread of discovering what had happened, saying his last goodbye to Erza and the confusion on her face as he left. The grim acceptance of putting the bomb together and the final smile he'd forced himself to give before igniting it after making sure that no one else was in the general facility.

He'd known precisely who was where, and he'd made damn sure it was small enough to kill him but not hurt anyone else.

And then he remembered heat and pain, and it hurt _so much_ to remember that he fisted his hands in his hair, giving a groan. It laughed and left him there, but glared when he stumbled after, a yank keeping him attached to _her_.

To Lucy.

He swallowed back the memories of pain and regret and pushed past it.

That was the past and now was the time that he had to save Lucy.

Glaring viciously at him, it decided to promptly ignore him. Sweeping Lucy's blonde hair behind her body's ear, it hummed and simply skipped down the dirt road it had been on. He followed, lowering his hands with a scowl. Lucy was still there, he knew. Otherwise he wouldn't be attached like he was, and he could hear her screams, even if they weren't aloud.

It stopped before a rickety old abandoned house what seemed like moments later but was actually closer to three hours. It grinned, studying the house. "This was my home," it hummed to Natsu, smirking. "I killed my wife and children here, watched their blood run down the drain. They'd upset me that day, you know? Wouldn't stop their crying, their screeching, their annoying as hell shrieks. So...I slit their throats. Oh, don't worry, I drowned them first." It giggled. "It was fun. So I hid the bodies and took the neighbor's child when he came asking for my son. They found me soon after that." It sighed. "I knew they were coming. So I slit my own throat." It laughed, and drew a finger across Lucy's throat.

"I wanted to come back and see the place, but it looks like there's no one here to annoy," it added. "I was going to haunt it, but it's been abandoned." Disappointment flashed across the face of the girl that Natsu loved more than anything else.

And it pissed him off.

Heat swept off of him, making it flinch. But it ignored him and continued. "That's alright. I'll keep this body and do what I did when I was alive. The girl will learn to enjoy it. I'll teach her how to enjoy the feeling of a blade over skin, the taste of blood on her tongue…" It squirmed. Eagerness on its face made Natsu make an expression of disgust.

 _Ugh._ He hated evil spirits.

It spat plasma at the ground and then turned to skip back up the dirt road, as if it was careless of what it was doing. Natsu followed it, hoping that someone showed up to restrain it and Lucy soon, because he couldn't do anything.

He could only watch.

And wish for the umpteenth time that he was alive.

Growling under his breath, Natsu watched it pause to study a branch thoughtfully. It tilted its head a little too far, and he worried that it'd snap her neck, but then it moved on.

"C'mon," he muttered. "The hell are they?"

It struck him then that it was very unlikely that anyone would be coming soon. He was on his own with a possessed Lucy, unable to do anything.

 _Because he was dead._

Frustrated, Natsu listened to the voice in his ear. _Kill her,_ it whispered, soothing. _Kill her and it'll leave. She'll be with you. She'll be with you for as long as you want…_

Onyx eyes flickered for a moment, his gaze studying the possessed woman, and he was so, _so_ tempted to do it. So tempted to just end all of the trouble that he'd been going through to get her to be with him.

So tempted to just snap her neck so that it could no longer possess her…

 _NO._ He shook that thought out of his mind. Lucy was going to join him anyways! She deserved to live while she could. She deserved everything good in life that could be given to her.

He paused, a thought filling him. Did that mean him? Or life without a ghost haunting her every moment? Trying to drag her into being a ghost with him because he was tired of being lonely?

...he'd deal with that later.

No was not the time to worry about that.

"Let Lucy go," he demanded for what felt like the millionth time. He slid in front of it, heat rolling off of his body. "Let her go. Now. She hasn't done anything to deserve this kind of thing. She's dying anyways; you can feel it."

"I can," it responded, "But I don't care. I'll let her go...when she's dead." It laughed, entertained by the idea, and it made Natsu furious. Technically, he supposed he could possess her himself; he knew that he was stronger than the other ghost, but that would wreak havoc on his Lucy's mind, and he didn't want to hurt her more than he had.

Which left only one other option that he hoped Levy - who he guessed to have some kind of special powers, because not everyone could expel him from the space he lived in - came up with.

Not everyone could do an exorcism.

But maybe Levy could.

So he'd keep an eye on her until they hopefully found her. The police wouldn't be involved, he was sure. They might involve that moron Cobra, but that was alright, because he and his partner would know what not to do due to the delicacy of the situation...right?

Lucy's body twisted in a way that wouldn't count as normal as she turned, hearing a voice shout.

Natsu wanted to hug Erza when she slowed to a stop. In one hand was a rag, in the other an open phone.

The ghost possessing Lucy wasn't at all concerned. "Play time!" it cried, and then lunged.

Erza slammed the rag over Lucy's nose and mouth and gave it a few moments before she collapsed against her. Natsu flared his heat to let her know that he was there and she smiled tightly as she picked Lucy up with ease. "Natsu?"

He looked around and then simply snapped branches to confirm his appearance.

"Cubellios found her on a security camera down the road," she explained. "We're taking her back to the apartment...do you have any ideas on how to fix this?"

Natsu looked around and snapped branches again; he certainly did, though he was certain it'd be rough on everyone. Exorcisms weren't pretty.

But they worked.

"Right," Erza said grimly. "Then let's go. You can talk on the phone...I'll have you do that when we're driving. Keep an eye on her, and I'll use more chloroform if I have to. Push the phone to the floor when you're done." She carried Lucy with ease, and Natsu jogged beside her, watching her sleeping face anxiously.

When they reached the car only moments later - Erza had driven down the dirt road - she set up the phone and told him to talk, having called Juvia as Gray had texted her to do, and then went to work on putting Lucy in the backseat. Juvia answered, anxious. "Hello?"

"Juvia?" Natsu said hesitantly, settling into the passenger seat with care.

"Natsu," Juvia said, startled, and then told someone that was with her that she was talking to him. "Did you find Lucy?"

"Yeah. Erza did, too, we're bringing her back." Natsu's gaze darkened. Once, he would have cheerfully looked around and exploded with happiness about getting to see the outside world again.

But he didn't care. He was more concerned about the woman that was unconscious.

"Good," Juvia breathed. "Juvia is glad. Juvia apologizes for being so harsh towards you, Natsu-"

"Whatever, I don't care," he huffed back, and then said sharply, "Prepare Levy for an exorcism. You know how they work, right? Lock the door when we get there, no one else comes in. You leave. Erza leaves. Everyone. Just Levy, me, and Lucy."

"...you can't be serious," Juvia said, voice trembling. "Natsu-"

"What else are you going to do?" he retorted, "Now get a move on and tell everyone to keep looking so that they don't come back. Tell the Cubellios lady to stop searching and that everything's okay. We don't need their help anymore."

"...alright," Juvia agreed reluctantly. "But Natsu, you should rethink this-"

"No." Natsu's voice was hoarse. "This spirit isn't a pleasant one...it wants to use Luce to kill people and Lucy would never forgive herself. This is the only way to drag it out without it doing so itself...I think she'll be okay."

Juvia sighed softly, and then called Erza's name to catch the scarlet-haired woman's attention. Erza climbed into the front seat and grabbed the phone, not seeming to notice the onyx eyes that watched her every move. "Yeah?"

"We're doing an exorcism," Juvia reported. "Bring her to Levy's."

"Is that...safe?" Erza asked hesitantly.

Juvia couldn't give her an answer that was reassuring. "Maybe. We don't know just yet. Juvia will see you when you get here, Erza."

And then she hung up.

* * *

 _Sorry about the last two missing updates! School killed me and family took over the weekend after that, so...I didn't have time to write._

 _And to answer OwlChaser113's question...I do have pets. Four dogs, two cats, two birds, a chinchilla, and a fish. :3_

 _Thanks to reviewers (KaUiA, Guest, The 0bservanc3, SunflowerChrysalis, eroticlad11, sthokatrina, Aya Rose, MehKitty, Naluislove4, AFallenAngel1221, akamagerain, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, ToastedWeirdBrain, LePengwen, Nanami B, BrokenHeartsMend, ilftnatsu, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, OwlChaser113, Sassassassin, Dark Shining Light, FlameDragonHime, pucksabrinadaphne, Parkermags, FairyRains, RunningWithTheRiptide, allieflavored, Alicia Trinidad, LadyRitsu, fanficlove2014, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, taboadayvonne, Maiden, quite-a-riot, neffarteri13, BaeBears, and HeavensSetFire!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	29. Chapter 29

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

Lucy had begun to stir by the time they arrived at the complex. Levy and Juvia were waiting outside, Levy's face pale and Juvia's serious. "You can't do it here," Juvia told Erza as she pulled the car up beside them. Natsu studied Juvia's expression and nodded in agreement.

He didn't really know all that much about exorcisms in contrast to what he seemed to know. He knew that in most religions, it required some kind of priest. But Lucy wasn't exactly religious and it required proof of some kind to even try to involve them.

Hopefully, Levy would do. It'd be dangerous for her and Lucy both - he didn't really know about himself. For all he knew, it'd get rid of him, too. But if Lucy was safe...then so be it. He'd take that risk over her losing her life any day.

"Juvia's coming, too. So you can speak to Natsu," Juvia announced. "Gajeel doesn't know that Levy's doing this."

"He'd throw a fit if he did," Levy grunted, climbing into the backseat after helping Juvia move Lucy a bit. The blonde mumbled restlessly, head rolling, and Erza gave Juvia a hard look before ordering her to be careful.

"I used chloroform on her," Erza called to them once they were in the car. No one questioned why neither of them had climbed into the front seat and Natsu, figuring there was nothing a wreck could do to him, simply climbed onto the console between the passenger seat and the driver's seat, staring at Juvia.

"Natsu," she said with faint amusement. "Don't do that. You're scaring Juvia."

He ignored that and demanded, "Ask Levy if she has an exorcism prayer of sorts. It doesn't matter what kind; as long as she's concentrating, it'll probably work."

Juvia repeated his question the blue-haired woman, and Levy nodded curtly. "I have it. I found it in the back of the library in an old book, actually. The book was published back in the early centuries, and most of it's in another language. Good thing I know several."

"Good," Natsu grunted. He dropped back into the seat, unused to being in a car after so long. It made him feel a bit sick, actually, but he wasn't entirely sure how. Lucy groaned softly and his gaze snapped to her face. "The spirit killed its wife and children. Drowned them and then slit their throats before stealing the neighbor's kid. It was going to haunt the place it used to live at but changed its mind. No one lived there. So it was gonna take Luce's body to do the same as it did when it was alive."

"Ugh," Juvia said with a sound of disgust. Erza glanced in the mirror questioningly, but she said nothing more, only looked out the window with a saddened look. Levy fell quiet as she flipped through the pages of her book to try and figure out what needed to be done.

Natsu watched Lucy with care as Erza drove, and it was after a while that he suddenly jerked upright out of the seat again. "Juvia-"

A scream exploded from Lucy's lips, and Erza's hands jerked, swerving the car in surprise. "Under the seat," she said hastily, glancing back. But rather than drugging her, Levy simply clasped her hands over each of Lucy's cheeks and ordered Erza to drive. "Levy-"

"Just drive," Levy repeated, staring into Lucy's rageful dark eyes. "Juvia pin her shoulders."

Together, they trapped the blonde where she was and she quite literally spat plasma at Levy. It struck her cheek, and Levy ignored it. So long as it stayed out of her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, she'd be alright. "Let me go," the spirit croaked, glaring viciously.

"Give Lucy back to us, and you can leave," Levy retorted.

"Fuck off," it cackled. "Blondie's already half-dead. It's not like it'll be any kinder to let her go when there's this constant agony radiating throughout her skull. Did you know that she's upset because she can't be there for the wedding?"

Juvia tensed, but chose to say nothing. She kept her grip on Lucy's shoulders, trapping her as the spirit within her screamed its rage, trying to kick and yank free. Natsu felt a flash of rage flicker through him, anger making him heat up the car without meaning to when it screamed again.

"Calm down, Natsu," Juvia ordered. "It will not help Lucy."

"Do you really think I don't know that?" he snapped, distressed by what was happening. He just wanted to go back to how things had been, before she'd gone to the grave. He wanted to go back to how things had been before she'd been hit by Yukino's car, before she'd been able to see him. Before she'd learned that there was no way around an early death.

He wished that he was still able to screw with her without her looking him dead in the eye and telling him no because it would have meant that she had a full life ahead of her.

He felt as if all of this was his fault.

And it must have showed on his face, because Juvia's gaze gentled and she maneuvered so that she could continue pinning Lucy down and reach out to touch his arm with a gentle look. He didn't feel anything, nor did she. They didn't have the relationship that he had with Lucy, and she wasn't close to joining him in death.

But the smile she gave him meant a lot.

"Everything will turn out alright," Juvia promised gently, "We will not let Lucy die."

"Where are we going, Erza?" Levy asked, studying the book in her hands with a pale face. She looked nervous about what she was going to do, but was determined to get it right.

"I figured," Erza said calmly, "That the middle of the forest would be okay. Particularly in this section. Will this attract ghosts?"

Natsu hesitated, thinking this over, and then shook his head. Juvia told her no, and Erza smiled faintly, relieved. Her phone went off suddenly, and she checked the caller ID. She answered a second later with a cautious greeting. "Jellal."

"Here's where the trouble starts," Levy groaned, and Juvia murmured her agreement. Suddenly, she swore, yanking a hand back. Blood dripped down her arm, spattering Lucy's face. The spirit giggled and licked the blood from its lips as Juvia cradled a bloody arm against her chest, wincing in pain.

Suddenly, the spirit grinned and launched upright. Levy shrieked in fear as it threw itself over the console and reached for the wheel.

Erza cried out in shock, instinctively hitting the breaks, and Natsu scrambled to try and do what he could - which wasn't much. He merely blocked the spirit's view so that it couldn't see precisely where the wheel was, and it hissed angrily.

Suddenly, Levy slammed a cloth over its mouth and then flashed a faint grin when it crumpled a short moment later. "Good idea on keeping the chloroform in here. Not sure how it helps when a ghost is involved, but smart."

"There's duct tape under the seat," Erza called, sighing in relief that the ghost had been dealt with again, even if it hurt her to hurt their good friend. They gave her a strange look - even Natsu looked suspicious - and she shrugged. "You never know when you'll need such things."

"Clearly," Levy snorted, sighing in relief before inspecting the bite on Juvia's arm. Juvia smiled faintly at the wound and told her, "Juvia will be fine."

"Are you sure?" Levy fretted. "We should clean it out, get some bandages on it. I forgot that humans bite for a second there…"

"Juvia's fine," Juvia repeated, and then exchanged a look with Natsu. She pressed her lips together as she searched his gaze, and then looked elsewhere. Bites from such things were nasty and painful; Juvia would likely scar and Gray would throw an absolute fit when they finally finished all of this.

"Stop!" Natsu suddenly demanded. He stopped the car himself, reaching past Erza without hesitation to slam on the breaks. She yelped, and the car skidded. Erza put it in park, and then glared at the heated area around her, seething.

"What the hell," Levy gagged, struggling to remove the seat belt with a wince, sure it would leave bruises.

"Why?" Juvia demanded.

Natsu simply vanished out of the vehicle, appearing outside and studying the area. After a moment, he shuffled around, searching the trees with sharp onyx eyes, catching sight of anything and everything that might end in a way they didn't want, and then shouted, "Bring Lucy out! We'll do it here!"

Juvia unbuckled her seatbelt, and then slid out of the car with ease. Levy and Erza exchanged a look, and then Erza blinked when she heard a shout of her name, full of worry. "Oops," she muttered, picking up her phone from the floor of the car. Holding it to her ear, she said, climbing out of the car, "Sorry. I had to hit the brakes really hard and dropped my phone. Juvia's with me. As is Levy."

Levy ignored the scarlet-haired woman as she spoke with Jellal, instead helping Juvia gently pull Lucy out of the backseat. They flung her arms over their shoulders, her head lolling, and Juvia narrowed her eyes when black plasma dripped from her mouth, nose, and eyes. Lucy groaned softly, and both frowned before helping her over to where Natsu waited, Juvia guiding Levy.

Natsu crouched when they'd settled her into the grass on her back, touching her cheek with the back of his hand, and then glanced up. "Juvia, you and Erza are gonna take the car and go back a mile or so. In exactly three hours, you're going to come and check on us."

"Are you sure you don't want us to help?" Juvia said gently, studying him.

He nodded. "Yeah. We'll be fine. I'll make sure Levy at least gets out of this alive."

Juvia didn't exactly look convinced, but stood and made her way back to Erza after wishing Levy good luck. Natsu wished for the first time ever that Levy could see him and speak to him. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he shouted for Juvia to hold on.

At least he could speak through phones now.

* * *

"This is weird," Levy muttered as she took in the strange symbol on the page and drew it in the dirt beside Lucy's head. She glanced to the phone that she'd lathed to her belt when Natsu's voice echoed out of it.

"You think it's weird. At least you're not sitting here uselessly."

Levy giggled and checked on Lucy. Her breath came quietly, as if she was sleeping, and a pain went through her chest. She hoped her friend would be okay. "True. But you're not useless. You're helping me just by telling me she's unconscious still."

"That's useless."

She rolled her eyes. Natsu didn't plan on being comforted today. "We should get a walkie talkie for you so you can just inside our place. So I can know what to do when you're being a crabby jerk."

Natsu snickered and then mused, "Hopefully I won't be hangin' around for much longer. I'll move on if Lucy goes with me. I don't want to be alone anymore."

Levy's eyes softened at that, and she promised him," She'd never leave you alone, Natsu. I promise. And even if she did move on without you, we'd keep you company. If all else fails, we can sell the building and you can come with us to a house and watch over our kids or something."

Natsu was silent for a few moments, and then he began to laugh in an almost evil way. "Aw, you and the freak planning marriage?"

Levy flushed but answered seriously. "Gajeel asked me if I would say yes when he asked and I told him I would. We didn't...we didn't want to do it while Juvia and Erza are getting ready for their wedding though, and we didn't want to make Lucy feel even worse about the fact that she's sick, you know?"

"Do it. Make him ask you in front of Luce." Levy paused in drawing another symbol, startled, and he continued. "She'd be glad to know that you and Gajeel are engaged or looking to be engaged."

Levy contemplated this, and then smiled, finishing the last symbol they needed. "...thanks, Natsu. That's smart. I'll tell him about what you said after all of this is over." He didn't answer, but she heard him mumbling under his breath about stupid humans and their lovers.

As the blue-haired woman worked, curiosity began to arise in her, and she asked quietly, "Natsu...do you really not know anything about how you died?"

Heat made sweat dot her forehead, but his voice was grim and mournful when he answered.

"I do now. The ghost revealed that Lucy knew. I don't know when she heard, or how she figured it out, but I committed suicide and blew myself up because Igneel died." His voice cracked. "I regret it. I've never hated myself for doing something stupid more than I do now. If I'd stayed alive...I could have met Luce when I was alive. I could have met you and the freak, been there for the wedding for my friends. I wouldn't cause so many issues. I hate that I did it. I hate myself for it. If I'd waited just a few more years, I would have probably had a really good life."

Levy listened quietly as he murmured the words, scratching in the dirt pointlessly with the stick she'd been using before telling him, "You know, it does you no good to mourn what could have happened. We would have been honored to have had you here alive, Natsu, believe me, and you and Lucy could have had a much better life, but...think about it. I think she's not as scared of the illness she's suffering from because she knows you're waiting for her. You would have been stuck in the same place we are if you were still alive."

Natsu went silent for a short while as he contemplated this and Levy took a step back, propping her hands on her hips and giving a curt nod as she took in her work. She was just reaching for her book when the spirit came to, swearing hatefully in pain at an agonizing pain behind Lucy's eyes.

Levy scanned the page quickly. "Alright. It shouldn't be able to move from there, Natsu."

"I can't move from where I'm sitting, so that's a good thing."

Levy paused. "Will this hurt you?"

"Exorcisms aren't painful for the dead," he said quietly. "But I am attached to Lucy, and it will get rid of me, too. I probably won't be able to escape the effects of it. Think of us like leeches. It's draining her blood and soul. I'm just tied to her because she's more important than anything else. It cuts the connection and sends us who the hell knows where." He paused, and then asked hesitantly, "Will you tell her I'm sorry and that I'll wait for her?"

Levy blinked back tears, surprisingly upset over the fact that bothersome poltergeist that had messed with she and Lucy for so long might not survive this, and she eagerly agreed. "Of course, Natsu."

The spirit made a sound of disgust, giggling hysterically. "You're going to kill your friend so that you can get rid of me? You're a special kind of stupid, aren't you?"

Levy and Natsu ignored it, and Levy planted herself across from the spirit. "Last chance," she warned it. "If you leave Lucy now, we won't do anything."

"Lies," it spat.

"Alrighty then, let's get started." Levy cleared her throat and laid the book down before her. She glanced thoughtfully at Lucy's body one more time, and then began to murmur something in another language, repeating the words carefully in a chant. Natsu had said any kind of exorcism would work.

She just hoped that this strange unheard of exorcism would do what they needed it to do.

The spirit tilted its head back and screamed in rage, trying to interrupt her before anything could happen, but Levy continued to speak, pretending she didn't notice. Plasma began to leak from Lucy's mouth, dripping into her lap and pouring from her nose like blood.

Had Natsu been alive, his stomach would have lurched and he would have felt ill.

Levy continued to speak, closing her eyes after a moment and flinching when Lucy spat at her. The plasma struck her across the face, and she spoke continuously as she swiped at her face. The air changed, something like static crackling across her skin and Levy felt like she was suddenly exhausted. It was as if she'd been awake for days and running a marathon at the same time, and the spirit narrowed its eyes.

Suddenly, it giggled.

It began to move, squirming against whatever pinned it there, and it raked the carefully manicured fingernails that Lucy was fond of down her cheeks, digging them in painfully so that it drew blood.

"Keep going," it purred, staring Levy in the eye when she faltered, staring at it in horror. "And I'll rip your little friend to pieces. She can die a slow painful death." It popped a finger in its mouth, humming around it, "Did you know that the human body has enough strength to bite a finger off?"

Levy hesitated, worried, but Natsu snapped into the phone, "Keep going. Even if it hurts her, keep going. Don't stop no matter what. It's better that it takes a finger off than she be trapped like that."

Levy squared her shoulders and continued, staring it in the eye without fear.

 _Lucy is ill_ , she told herself as she continued to repeat the strange chant she'd struck up. _She'll understand. She needs help, and we're the only ones and this is the only way...right?_

"Bitch," it snarled, raking the nails down Lucy's stomach, not hesitating to try and separate the skin as much as it could. "She's screaming for help and you're just going to ignore her?"

"Ignore it, keep going," Natsu instructed, and Levy wanted to cry. She wanted her friend to be alright.

The spirit rolled its eyes, searching the ground around it, and Natsu forced himself to dive forward and grab a stick that it suddenly lunged for. He flung it back,and then scampered around, blocking it from trying to get anything else that could be used to poke eyes out or hurt Levy and Lucy. He kept calm, gritting his teeth when it laughed at his attempts.

Suddenly, Levy's words switched, and her eyes flew open, wide. Panicking now, the spirit bit into Lucy's arm, as if hoping it would help it keep its connection with the blonde. Blood spattered Lucy's face, and it ripped the flesh away without hesitation, spitting it out with a laugh as blood slicked her arm.

Natsu tried to keep his rage down, not wanting to upset the already barely conscious Levy, who was using all of her strength to merely finish and keep upright. He could feel the shift, the sudden change. It yanked at him, threatening to throw him into darkness and nothingness for the first time in years.

The spirit studied the sight of bone, and then shoved a finger into the wound, laughing hysterically.

"Watch her suffer," it laughed. "I hope the wounds I've left on both body and soul fester until she can't help but turn into one of the demons you refuse to listen to you, you cowardly fool." It stared Natsu in the eye, baring blood-stained teeth with red-rimmed eyes. He met its gaze calmly, hating that he couldn't see Natsu anywhere in the look. It stuck a tongue out and then bit down again, as if trying to bite the tongue off, but then there was a sudden jerk on both of their senses.

The spirit left Lucy with a furious scream, struggling to keep its clutches as she crumpled.

Natsu studied her pale face lovingly before closing his eyes with a gentle smile, feeling at peace for the first time in years.

Lucy was safe.

He knew no more.

* * *

 _Okay, you probably weren't expecting this weird exorcism thing, but I didn't want to offend anyone and the majority of my writing is done in the dark. I didn't want to freak myself out (as I plan out a trip to The Conjuring 2...)_

 _NOW! The next chapter will be the last. ;-; Paranormal is drawing to a close, and it makes me sad. But due to a road trip on Saturday, I won't be able to update, and last week I had a huge test, so we're going to act as if today is Saturday...because..._

 _I'm updating today, tomorrow, and likely Thursday! I've decided to just dish out every chapter that's left. So have fun! See you tomorrow!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (FlameDragonHime, SunflowerChrysalis, Bringmethekawaii, LePengwen, HeavesSetFire, OwlChaser113, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, o0vicarious-living0o, The 0bservanc3, Sassassassin, akamagerain, mehKitty, Gir276, NaLu and InuKag, Dragondancer81, ToastedWeirdBrain, FairyRains, Aya Rose, LadyRitsu, AFallenAngel1221, Naluislove4, Guest #1, RunningWithTheRiptide, Dark Shining Light, NaLu x Buckets, Carchee, BaeBears, Guest #2, Brannasaurus Rex, Jen the Mischievous, and Ever!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	30. Chapter 30

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

The drunken laughter of the people around her made her smile despite the pain in her head, and the music intensified, speeding up as the people dancing tried to keep up. Two women in white dresses swept around, their new husbands looking amused as each couple tried to beat the other in the contest they'd somehow created amongst one another. People clapped to the beat, sang along, and shouted encouragement.

"I think Jellal and Erza are going to win," a voice in her ear hummed, and she glanced over to see Levy McGarden - soon to be Levy Redfox - watching them with glowing eyes. Her blue hair had been styled around a headband that kept her bangs out of her face. Gajeel had abandoned his fianceé in favor of the banquet table to neither of their surprise.

"I think you're right," she replied with a laugh when Gray shouted a curse in frustration, tripping over his own feet. Juvia - her belly just barely beginning to swell with the child that rested within it - laughed and kissed his cheek.

From where she was seated in a wheelchair, her thin and bony form clad in a red dress, Lucy smiled and watched her friends happily enjoy themselves. When Gajeel came back, he dragged Levy out to dance, leaving her to sit in silence and think longingly of the days that she could have joined in without falling over.

It had been months since she'd last seen Natsu, and she missed him dearly. She couldn't tell if he was gone for good, or if he'd return some day, but it still hurt to know that he would never be able to see her alive again.

Because she was running out of time, no matter what any of them thought.

Lucy remembered waking up the morning after the exorcism in a hospital bed with an empty feeling in her heart. She didn't remember much, only felt the pain that raced up her arm and through various parts of her body. When someone had finally shown up - Wendy, much to her surprise - she'd demanded to know what had happened.

Wendy had gone in search of someone who could answer her and had produced a relieved Juvia.

Lucy still remembered the hateful terror in her heart when she was told that Natsu had likely been expelled alongside the other spirit with no promise of return.

She'd gone home days later with the additional information that meant she didn't have all that much longer to live. She hadn't really cared as much as she should have; she'd been dried of tears long ago, and had simply accepted it and welcomed everyone who greeted her in excitement with open arms.

It hadn't been too long before she'd been unable to stand up on her own, too dizzy to keep her balance, and she'd been forced into a wheelchair. Levy had quit her job at the library and taken up a full-time one at Gajeel's shop so that she could hang out with her fiancé, Lucy, Sting, and Rogue more. Yukino had often shown up time to time, bringing loads of food for all of them.

Lucy appreciated all of them, her friends.

But there was nothing that could erase the desperate grief she felt whenever she thought of Natsu.

"Lucy!"

She snapped out of her thoughts, glancing up, and was startled to discover Gray holding a hand out to her. He wore a crooked grin that made her smile in response. "Want to dance? Juvia decided she needed to rest for a bit and get some food."

Lucy looked down at herself, thinking of how her head was spinning and she wasn't even on her own two feet. "I don't know if I can, Gray," she admitted. "I don't want to get sick or anything."

"Just one song." He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. "You know you want to."

Lucy rolled her eyes with a giggle and placed her hand in his. He carefully helped her up and she took a moment to try and stay upright. With great care he helped her out to the dance floor, keeping an arm around her shoulders so that she didn't trip. Once they were there, he spun her once just to make her laugh, and then told her, "You can stand on my toes if you need to."

"Thanks," she said with relief and did just that. She closed her eyes to avoid seeing the world tilt around her, and then grinned when Gray began to simply spin around with a brilliant grin on his face.

She had fun as they danced, and was eventually switched off to Erza, who did the same thing for her. Gajeel reluctantly did a dance with her, and Levy pouted when she realized she was too small to do the same thing that everyone else was doing. Sting and Rogue each took a turn, as did Yukino.

Finally, when she was returned to her wheelchair, she was breathless with laughter, her cheeks hurting from smiling so much. She leaned her head back and grabbed her drink to try and catch her breath.

"The hell is that freak wearing?"

Lucy spit out her drink, choking on it in shock at the voice in her ear. She coughed harshly for a few moments, trying to clear her lungs of what had gone down the wrong tube, and most stopped to look at her in concern.

"I'm alright," she wheezed, even as tears pricked her eyes. "Sorry. Just...went down badly, sorry!"

Levy, who'd looked terrified as she'd studied her, relaxed and flashed her a smile before hauling Juvia back out to dance. Juvia protested, but gave in, twirling with she and Erza as their respective men decided to go and visit the alcohol.

After she'd finally calmed down, Lucy murmured, "...Natsu?"

Breath washed over her ear, a proud tone in his voice. "Damn straight. Did ya miss me?"

Lucy took a shuddering breath, fighting back relieved tears. She glanced over her shoulder to look for him, and he met her gaze with a huge cheeky grin, his onyx eyes practically glowing. "Oh, thank goodness," she groaned. "You're okay."

He scoffed. "Like I wouldn't be. Did you honestly think I'd be thrown away by something like _that_? Tch." He peeked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Just took me a while to wake up, that's all. And when I woke up, I found all these freaks dressed up in weird clothing around me and you're doing some kind of terrifying dance with Erza."

Lucy stifled her laughter, ignoring the pain it created. "Yeah...it's the reception party. Gray and Jellal married Juvia and Erza today. I'm glad I was able to make it to the wedding at least...now my next goal is the baby, maybe Gajeel and Levy's wedding if they hurry up."

Natsu snickered, looking pleased as he draped himself over the back of her wheelchair. She could feel the warmth he provided as his chin came to rest on her shoulder, his head leaning into hers and his arms wrapping around her shoulders. And she could feel skin on skin, his hair tickling her cheek, and suddenly, understanding filled her.

Especially when Juvia glanced back to check on her worriedly, but didn't bat an eye, not seeming to see the pink-haired poltergeist that was with her. Lucy waved and she simply laughed and turned back to the others.

"Juvia can't see you," she said after a moment, sighing. He blinked. "You're not as strong as you were before the exorcism." She brushed her fingers over the nasty scar that had formed on her arm, showing where the ghost had bitten in. She glanced at him. "My time's almost up. I'll be passing on soon, that's why I can see you now, I think."

Natsu tensed. "What?"

Lucy shrugged. "There's only so much longer I can go on like this. I can't even walk straight without falling and puking because I'm so dizzy. I'm actually looking forward to it, Natsu. It makes me sick and my head hurts all of the time like I'm getting hit thousands of times with a pan."

Natsu snorted at the imagery and then said hesitantly, "You won't go without me, right? You'll wait?"

"Always," Lucy said simply. "I'll always wait for you."

"Lucy, who are you talking to?"

Lucy glanced over when Sting came jogging, a plate of food in his hand for each of them. He flashed her a quick grin as he offered it and she took it, studying what was there and picking reluctantly at it, not exactly excited to eat. But for everyone's sake, she forced herself to eat, pretending there wasn't a ghost hanging on her. "No one. Where's Yukino?"

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Getting some food for herself. Anyways, who are you talking to?"

"Don't worry about it, I'm just muttering to myself. I'm slightly crazed, remember?" She tapped her head gently with a finger. "Yukino's calling for you...thanks for getting me the food, even if we all know I'm an idiot that can't eat it."

He flashed her a broad grin. "No problem. Wanna dance again later?"

Lucy beamed. "Why not? If I'm feeling up to it, I'll let you know."

When he'd left, Natsu huffed. "I wanna dance, too."

"I can't dance without someone holding me up and doing all of the work for me, so I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait until-" She cut off, choosing not to finish that. Heat flooded from him for a moment. They went quiet as they thought over what was to come, and then he suddenly grinned.

"I can't wait," he said suddenly. "I think I'm ready to move on now. I'll wait for you, of course, but I think I'll be able to go with you now. I don't get the whispers at all anymore."

"I'm proud of you," she replied with a warm tone. She took a deep breath, and then closed her eyes with a sigh. "I want dance with you first, and I want to stay and see what happens for a little while before we go, I think. I want to see who has kids...those will be my regrets, I think. I won't be able to make sure that everyone's happy."

Natsu contently rubbed his cheek against hers as if it was normal. "Sure. I don't care."

She only giggled and thought of all of the things that she'd been mourning. She'd never get married, never have children. Never grow old with her friends and help with their children.

But she'd have Natsu.

And that was all that mattered.

* * *

"Hi, Happy," Lucy mused a few days her cat crawled into her lap. Gajeel's cat wasn't far behind, its rumbling purr deeper and just as sweet. She giggled when he curled up at her side on the couch, and then went back to reading her book as she tugged the scarf she wore away from her mouth. It was a good day, one where her head was constantly spinning and let her read for once.

She and Levy had moved in with Gajeel after the exorcism, Levy claiming that she wanted to live with him and not wanting to leave Lucy alone. He'd agreed, even set up a room for her to have and decorate as she saw fit.

She'd kept it sparse, not wanting to leave too much evidence of herself behind so that it'd be easier on everyone, but she'd brought clothes and pictures and - of course - Happy. He'd kept particularly close to her as of late, as if sensing something was up, and she hadn't minded.

Suddenly, there was a shout of pain from upstairs. Lucy paused to glance up at Gajeel's swearing, arching an eyebrow. A split second later, she could hear cackling in her ear. "Natsu," she groaned as Gajeel came storming down the stairs, a hand pressed to his head. He looked her straight in the eye, crimson gaze demanding, and she shrugged. "What?"

"Don't you fucking lie, that little fiery bastard's back. I heard you say his name yesterday when all of my work hit the ground and you blamed the cats."

"...he may or may not be hanging around again," Lucy finally admitted. She glared at the pink-haired poltergeist as he grinned from his place nearby. "Juvia wouldn't be able to see him just yet, but he's getting stronger. He just started with screwing things yesterday."

"I'll get rid of the bastard if he breaks anything," Gajeel threatened grouchily.

"No you won't," Lucy sighed, scratching Happy's ear. "You were worried, too."

"Tch. Like I'd worry about a ghost." Gajeel shot her a look and then went back upstairs, eyes narrowed with irritation.

Lucy gave it a moment, and then gave her friend a look. He shrugged and looked elsewhere. "I was bored."

"You don't have to break things because you're bored," she scolded. "Go flick through channels on the TV in their room or something. But keep the volume down, would you?" she pleaded as he excitedly left to go do that.

Lucy shook her head in exasperation and then turned her attention back to the book. After a blank moment of staring, she set it aside, and then rubbed her temples, gaze darkening.

Time was up. She could feel it, somewhere in the back of her dark thoughts. She couldn't spend any more time with anyone. She'd tried so hard to hang on, but she'd done as much as she knew herself to be capable of, and found herself exhausted from even opening her eyes after each blink.

She'd thought about telling Natsu, she really had. But she hadn't wanted to ruin the peace the pair had created over the last few days. Lucy took a deep breath as she thought of her friend and his playful grin and just about everything else he'd done as of late. He'd been careful not to hurt her when he messed around, and had been good whenever Levy was around.

She didn't want to scare anyone else either.

So she'd remained quiet about the matter.

"Hey, Happy," she whispered as she lifted the cat to her eye level. He purred, flicking his tail as she pressed her lips to his head, hands trembling. "Will you miss me when I'm gone? I'll miss you. But I promise you'll have a good life here, okay? Take care of Levy and Gajeel and their children, and I'll do my best to do the same, okay?"

Happy only mewed and nuzzled her chin, crawling up onto her shoulders. She rested her head back against the couch and closed her eyes to rest as exhaustion swept through her.

Time was up.

But she didn't mind. She'd see all of them again someday, and she'd make sure that they grew up safe and sound, kept safe from the negative creatures that would forever walk the earth.

Besides.

She'd have Natsu at her side.

Lucy drifted off into sleep, a peaceful smile written across her face.

* * *

 _This marks the last chapter of Paranormal, but have no fears, my friends...we've still got one more update: an epilogue! See you tomorrow!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (TaylorNReed, ToastedWeirdBrain, LePengwen, Guest #1, KawaiiKitsune13, MehKitty, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, silver light of, Typhlosion8, agentbunni, Guest #2, eroticlad11, PinkFireandGoldenStars, ilftnatsu, LovingmyOTP's, FairyRains, LadyRitsu, RunningWithTheRiptide, sthokatrina, Dragondancer81, akmagerain, Gir276, fanficlove2014, NaLu x Buckets, FlameDragonHime, The 0bservanc3, and AFallenAngel1221!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	31. Epilogue

**. Paranormal .**

* * *

"Oof!"

There was a yelp as she hit the ground, a pout appearing on her lips as she stared at the startled cat she'd tripped over. His dark fur bristled as he studied her, and then he relaxed and purred, wiggling his tail strangely.

She glared. "Why'd you walk in my path?" she demanded. "I feel like I've betrayed you now."

He only purred and rubbed against her, tail twitching happily.

Sighing, Levy Redfox ran her fingers over Pantherlily's fur and then climbed to her feet, planting her hands on her hips as she heard a call of "Momma, come on!"

"Coming!" she called back, and scooped her cat up. She carried him through the house to the dining room, where a beaming child awaited at the table, her crimson eyes glittering proudly as she held up a drawing. "Ooh," Levy cooed, depositing the cat on the table that Happy already rested on, taking it from her and smiling at the drawing. "This looks great, Lex!"

Her daughter, Alexus, giggled, and then shoved her little brother's drawing at her, too. Saviir giggled, making spit bubbles. "Look, Momma, Saviir did one, too." She paused, squinting at it, and then wrinkled her nose. "It doesn't look as good as mine though…"

"I think they're both equally beautiful," Levy told her. "We'll hang them on the fridge so Dad can see when he gets home from the shop. How does that sound?"

Alexus threw her hands in the air. "Yay!" she cried.

Levy giggled and pressed a kiss to her head as she went to hang the pictures on the fridge as promised. Her gaze softened as she used the magnets to hang them there, and she paused with a sigh, running her fingers over a picture that hung there even years later.

It was all of the group of friends she'd come up with, the last picture they'd been able to take before Lucy had died in her sleep years before. They were all grinning at the camera, their eyes glowing with happiness, and Levy could practically hear Lucy demanding that they hang it up.

She sucked on her lower lip, remembering how she'd found Lucy curled up with a smile on her face, death erasing the pain and the suffering that she'd gone through. She remembered screaming for Gajeel, though there'd been nothing they could do. He'd called Erza in the middle of she and Jellal's honeymoon alongside Gray and Juvia for her as she cried, pleading for Lucy to open her eyes.

The funeral had been small, but grand, and Levy still made sure to visit the grave every weekend.

Shaking her head to clear it, Levy hurried back to Alexus and Saviir, determined to not think sad thoughts. Alexus was cheerful when she returned, smiling at something that Levy didn't understand as she demanded, "Color, Momma!"

"I'll watch you," Levy denied, kissing her cheek and dropping into the chair across from her, wiping drool from Saviir's chin. He giggled and clasped her finger, dark hazel eyes happy.

"Stop!"

Alexus' sudden demand made Levy glance up, and she frowned when she saw that Alexus was glaring at the empty space beside her, hands trapping her paper where it was. She scowled furiously and Levy asked, "Lex, what's wrong?"

Alexus turned to her mother and snapped, "He's being rude and messing with my picture, Momma!" She shot another glare over her shoulder, and then stuck her tongue out.

Levy blinked. "...who is, Alexus?"

" _Him_." She pointed at the spot beside her, and then relaxed suddenly. "Never mind. The nice lady's yelling at him, it's okay."

Levy blinked, and then her face went white. "Alexus, come here, please."

"Why?" She looked puzzled, but did as she was told and trotted to where her mother was sitting after climbing out of her chair. She climbed into Levy's lap and Levy wrapped her arms around her as she demanded with a shaking voice, "Are they scary looking, the people you're seeing?"

Alexus shook her head. "Nope! The nice lady's really nice. The rude guy's nice, too, I guess." She wrinkled her nose. "...he's stupid."

" _Alexus_ ," Levy scolded, her breath tight in her throat.

For years, Juvia had told her that there was nothing in her house, that no spirits lingered.

Yet…

"Lucy?" she said hopefully, feeling dreadful at the same time that she wanted to cry out in happiness when a single knock filled the air. Her heart ached; she was glad that her friend was there, but it killed her that she hadn't moved on. "Natsu?"

Heat came at that name, and Alexus scowled and snapped, "I asked you to _stop_!"

A sob left Levy and she tightened her grip on her child, burying her face in Alexus' hair. Alexus blinked in confusion and Saviir squealed a split second before Levy felt something touch her head, a gentle caress that she barely felt. But when she looked up, there was nothing there.

"Momma?" Alexus said uncertainly.

Levy shook her head wordlessly, a huge grin appearing on her face as she lifted her head entirely. "Oh, Lucy, Natsu," she whispered. " _Go_. We're fine here...it's time for you to move on. Thank you for all that you've done. We'll take things from here...okay?"

Levy thought she heard a voice murmur a word of thanks to her.

For the briefest of moments, she could see a familiar blonde smiling warmly over her shoulder at her, long hair cascading down her back, hand in hand with a smirking pink-haired man that suddenly mockingly saluted them. Brown eyes met hazel, and Levy understood immediately.

 _Goodbye._

And then they were gone, and the heat disappeared. It was as if the world itself had given the two who had suffered more than the average person an apology in the form of a farewell, and Levy couldn't have been happier.

* * *

 _Ugh, I'm a mess right now. Hurts me to write the final author's note no matter what I'm writing. Paranormal started out when I watched a video of a possible ghost fucking around with an office in my psychology class back in October. I couldn't stop laughing at the way that it would throw files around and immediately associated it with Natsu._

 _I_ _NEVER expected Paranormal to get this big. I never thought it'd get to 600+ reviews. I never imagined that so many people would like it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I'm so glad that all of you did. Thank you all so, so much for the support and love! My lovely editor and I both appreciate it lots!_

 _Some have asked if I'm planning another strange fanfic like this one, and there will actually be something slipping into Paranormal's time slot on Saturdays though it's nothing like this beautiful thing. Not As It Seems will be starting on June 25th, and includes an OC of mine. I'm very nervous about posting it, but excited at the same time._

 _So...this is it. Thank you all again for joining me in this strange and fun adventure, and don't be a stranger to my other works, including Between the Lines, Oculto, and soon to be Not As It Seems!_

 _As Snow Fairy puts it... "Don't say goodbye!"_

 _~river_


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